“I think we came out with a lot of intensity and set the foundation defensively and kept that up the whole game,” said DHS head coach Tim Fitzpatrick.
The Demons kept Grand Junction from scoring in the first quarter as they built a 15-0 lead, which included a buzzer-beater jump shot from Mason Rowland after Durango forced a late turnover.
By halftime, DHS extended its advantage to 33-1. Riley Campbell and Sydney Flores both hit 3-pointers in the second. Durango continued forcing turnovers, and Rowland took one steal coast to coast for a basket.
The team’s starters barely played in the second half, but Carter Neiman helped the Demons pull away from the Tigers with six points in the third quarter and six in the fourth to finish with 12.
“We got a lot of kids on the bench a bunch of quality minutes,” Fizpatrick said, adding that it should help some players get their fitness back, like Neiman who missed the team’s last couple of games.
Rowland scored 15 to lead the Demons, while Sydney Flores added 13.
It was Durango’s sixth consecutive win and 11th in its past 12 games, improving the team’s record to 11-3 overall and 1-0 in the 5A/4A Southwestern League as the Demons begin its conference season.
Grand Junction slid to 1-13, 0-1.
Things will get a little tougher for Durango this week when the team travels to 4A No. 10 Grand Junction Central (9-1) on Friday and Fruita Monument (11-2), which received the 14th most votes in CHSAA’s latest 5A poll, on Saturday. <... Click here to read full article
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