If three first-half three-pointers hadn’t made it clear that Bri Comisky was in a shooter’s “zone” Monday in the Montezuma-Cortez gym, a later three that didn’t count should have.
Her would-be fourth triple with 2:17 left in the third quarter was negated by a traveling call against the teammate who’d passed the ball. Comisky showed little reaction. She knew she’d get another chance.
And when that fourth trey came in the fourth quarter, pushing the senior M-CHS guard past the 20-point mark on Senior Night, it gave the Panthers’ a 28-point lead over Bayfield, 55-27, en route to a 58-32 victory. It was the squad’s first this season in 3A Intermountain League action.
“We go as Bri goes. Bri’s really the leader out there and catalyst for a lot of the things we do, defensively or offensively,” coach Brad Wright said. “She’s really the heart and soul of the energy you see on the court, and tonight was nothing short of that. She came out hot and stayed hot.”
“I wouldn’t say I ‘carried’ us; I wouldn’t have had any of those … shots at all if no one was helping me,” said Comisky, who totaled a game-high 21 points as M-CHS improved to 7-8 overall, 1-5 IML. “I think a lot of tonight was about confidence,” said Comisky. “We really communicated during the game.”
“Bayfield’s usually one of our hardest teams, rivals, so we knew we were going to have to be on top of it today,” said senior Taiah Wilson, who scored 11. “We’ve been missing girls because of sickness, but today we had a full team and you could tell.”
Trailing the hard-luck Lady Wolverines (1-15, 0-6) early at 8-7, Montezuma-Cortez gained the upper hand when Comisky cashed a go-ahead three from the corner near Bayfield’s bench. The very next trip down, she sank another from the same spot.
With about 2:20 left, Bayfield closed to 14-11 via a three by junior Alaysia Kremer, who’d missed the team’s previous three games because of an injured left knee.
But the Lady Panthers would counter with a 10-0 run into the second quarter, before Bayfield freshman Renae Foutz, who scored five points, sank two free throws.
Comisky promptly answered with a three, increasing M-CHS’ lead to 27-13. And though Kremer (10 points) would drain another three to send the game into halftime with the guests down by just 11, Comisky’s three consecutive two-pointers beginning the third quarter dimmed Bayfield’s hope of a comeback.
And if they didn’t, Wilson’s rim-rattling three-ball that inflated M-CHS’ lead to 36-17, visibly did.
“Not too surprised about that,” said Bayfield senior Abby Tate (11 points). “But it was kind of a bummer to lose that momentum we had.”
“We just need to come up with a lot of good energy and play as a team, not be down on each other,” said Kremer.
Wilson added four points before the quarter expired. Sophomore Savannah Haselroth booked two of her 10 total, and senior Moshai John gave the Panthers’ sixth three-pointer as M-CHS entered the fourth quarter ahead 45-21.
“We talked pregame in the locker room about knowing what your assignment is, doing your job well … winning that battle as an individual,” Wight said. “And having the girls support each other, play for each other … I’m super-proud of what they did tonight.”
All six senior Panthers registered at least a point as 10 players scored, including sophomore JV call-up India Wright, who nailed a last-second three for M-CHS’ final points. John finished with five points, fellow seniors Kalea Hunt and Siren Utecht each scored two, and classmate Kaydence Tom one.
Montezuma-Cortez totaled an impressive nine three-pointers, something Bayfield couldn’t ignore.
“I asked after the game how many they’d made – it felt like 15 or something!” BHS head coach Lauren Moran said. “But they had, I think, four different people hit; that was a complete game-changer.
Recovered from their losses Feb. 5 at Pagosa Springs and Feb. 3 at 1A Dove Creek, the Panthers will next travel Friday, Feb. 11, to Bayfield, then host Alamosa on Feb. 12 while the Wolverines host Centauri.
