The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate basketball team dropped its final regular-season game, but are heading into the playoffs ready to swing their sword, indicated coach Brandon Forster.
The Pirates traveled to Bayfield on Saturday, Feb. 28, for their final regular-season game before the start of the state playoffs. The boys fell prey to the Wolverines 46-44.
The Pirates started slow, going down 9-3 after the first quarter of the game. Heading into halftime, the deficit had grown to 10 points.
“That was a tough loss because they’re our rivals,” Forster said. “We had 12 turnovers in the first half. Just felt like there was a lid on the rim. Couldn’t get anything to fall.”
Coming out of halftime, the Pirates outscored the Wolverines 15-11 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to six, but the comeback effort was cut short in the fourth quarter despite outscoring the Wolverines 15-11 once again.
The Pirates had a chance at a last second shot, but didn’t make it.
Forster noted that the second-half comeback effort was big and the Pirates need to carry that momentum into the playoffs this weekend.
Duke Ketchum led the team with 18 points in the game. Jeremiah Jones had 10 points, Creede Dozier finished with seven, Jerry Dean added five, and Ty Richey and Bode Hubbard each added two points.
Richey led the team in rebounds with nine, Ketchum added eight, Dean and Dozier each had four, and Jayton Ross, Jones and Hubbard all finished with one each.
As a team, the Pirates shot 46 percent from the field, 45 percent from the 3-point line and 29 percent from the free-throw line.
They grabbed 28 total rebounds as a team, assisted on 11 of their 17 made field goals, finished with four steals and turned the ball over 18 times.
The Pirates finished with an 11-11 record on the season and are the No. 26 seed in the 32-team 4A state playoffs.
They will be heading to Eaton for the first round of the playoffs.
Eaton finished the season 18-5 and is the No. 7 seed in the tournament.
The game will be on Friday, March 6, with tip-off set for 5 p.m.
Forster’s three keys to victory on Friday are to defend the paint, to take care of the basketball and to get out in transition and not let Eaton slow the game down.
“We feel like we got a good draw,” said Forster. “And the good thing for us is we’re going in with nothing to lose. They’re excited to have an opportunity to go out and prove how good we are.”
Eaton will also host the matchup between No. 10 University and No. 23 The Academy, with the winners of the two games set to face off Saturday, March 7, in the Sweet 16 round of action.
Also representing the Intermountain League, Montezuma-Cortez earned the No. 2 seed.
jsellner@orourkemediagroup.com
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