Although Intermountain League play has not been kind to the Montezuma-Cortez High School girls basketball team this season, weekend games against Monte Vista and Pagosa Springs figure to provide the Lady Panthers with an opportunity to improve.
When the Montezuma-Cortez High School girls basketball team takes to its home floor for a game against Monte Vista on Jan. 25, the Lady Panthers will be facing an opponent that they are more than capable of beating.
Much like M-CHS, Monte Vista has struggled against Intermountain League opponents this season, having lost to Alamosa, Bayfield, Pagosa Springs and Centauri this season.
At the heart of the Pirates’ difficulties has been an inability to put the ball in the basket as the team averages just 32.6 points per game. Against Intermountain League opponents, Monte Vista averages just 28.8 points per game.
Point guard Hannah Jones has been Monte Vista’s leading scorer this season as the senior has averaged 6.8 points per game. Freshman forward Analysia Perea has averaged 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds for Monte Vista.
Given Monte Vista’s offensive struggles this season, the Lady Panthers could find success by utilizing their half-court trap, which has been successful against offensively challenged opponents this season.
The Lady Panthers could also find success in transition as senior point guard Dimery Plewe has the ability to score and distribute off the fast break and junior shooting guard Myra Simmons can knock down 3-point field goals in transition.
In the event that Simmons is able to score close to her season average of 9.4 points per game and sophomore Paige Yarbrough is able use her size to control the offensive glass, M-CHS could pick up its first Intermountain League of the season.
Even if Simmons and Yarbrough struggle, however, the Lady Panthers depth with Ayanna Silas, Malia Begay, Taelynn Comisky and others, should be enough to push M-CHS to at least a 10-point victory.
Whereas M-CHS will no-doubt be looking to win against Monte Vista, the Lady Panthers may be looking for nothing more than improvement when they travel to face Pagosa Springs on Jan. 26.
One of the most talented Class 3A teams in the state, the Pirates will enter the matchup with a 10-2 record overall and a 4-0 record in the Intermountain League this season. Pagosa Springs defeated M-CHS 53-24 this season.
To remain competitive against the Pirates, the Lady Panthers will need to limit their turnovers in the back court and aggressively rebound on the defense end. During its first matchup with Pagosa Springs, M-CHS struggled to break the Pirates full-court press.
M-CHS will also have to contain senior Devin Wilson, who scored 20 points in the teams’ initial matchup and is averaging 10.9 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game this season.
The Pirates rank among the Lady Panthers’ most difficult matchups this season, but if the Lady Panthers can limit their turnovers, the final spread between Pagosa Springs and M-CHS could be under 20 points. The Pirates rank among the Lady Panthers’ most difficult matchups this season.
