The Pagosa Springs Pirates came tearing into Saturday's match with nine straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 20.7 points) and they left with even more momentum. They took down Ignacio 54-37. Given Pagosa Springs' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 18th, while Ignacio is ranked 156th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Pagosa Springs got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Blake Laner out in front who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 12 rebounds. Laner hasn't dropped below eight rebounds for five straight games. Another player making a difference was Ridge Wilson, who scored eight points along with eight rebounds.
Pagosa Springs pushed their record up to 11-1 with that victory, which was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.5 points per game. As for Ignacio, their loss dropped their record down to 5-5.
Pagosa Springs and Alamosa will face off at 7:00 p.m. on January 19th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. As for Ignacio, Ignacio and Bayfield will face off at 7:30 p.m. on January 18th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Bayfield is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak.