LOVELAND - Badly needing energy offensively after a Holyoke three-pointer, sophomore Morgan Herrera responded with her own 'and-one' conversion in the third quarter Friday.
And though down seven points, the closest they'd been since trailing 21-18 at halftime, Ignacio still had six minutes and 21 seconds take that spark, kindle a comeback, exit the Budweiser Events Center with the program's first-ever State Championships victory, and survive to see the season's final day.
Twenty ticks of the clock later, the flames of hope were all but extinguished as Herrera was called for a questionable fifth personal foul. That was after Holyoke scored a pair of vital free throws and rebuild the pad to a more comfortable nine points with 6:01 left.
IHS junior Kiana Valdez, who'd been all but targeted by the officials during the consolation-bracket semifinal's third quarter and hit with a ridiculous four personals, was disqualified with 3:45 remaining. Despite senior Avionne Gomez closing out her career with a three-pointer, Ignacio's outstanding 2017-18 campaign came to an end Friday, March 9, with a 45-35 loss.
"It wasn't the ending that we wanted, that we worked our butts off for, but it is what it is and I'm so proud of the girls and their efforts," coach Trae Seibel said. "Being a first-year head coach, it just goes to show you that it's all about the girls and their ability. So all credit and all glory goes to those girls."
Herrera finished with five points while Gomez managed eight.
"I know Ignacio; I used to coach the boys back in the day," said Holyoke head coach John Baumgartner, alluding to his school's 2010 win over IHS in the 2A State Championship, when Seibel was a senior. "They're aggressive, and they played their hearts out. And Coach Seibel, I felt bad going against him, but he's done a great job with that program."
Seeded fourth in the 'Great Eight,' Holyoke also had to hound freshman Charlize Valdez, who booked a team-high nine points with four coming during a dead-even first quarter that ended 7-7. And though it may not have looked like an explosion of offense, the Dragons were aware that on Day 1 the previous afternoon, #8 Ignacio was dead-even, 8-8, and showing no fear against undefeated 1-seed Yuma.
Against Yuma, the 'Cats had been as close as 14-12 late in the second quarter and went into halftime down 17-12 as the Indians alertly blanketed both Gomez and Herrera during the last 10 seconds. The third quarter of each contest, however, proved to be IHS' Achilles' heel.
Yuma won the "Great Eight" date's third by a 16-5 margin. Holyoke won the third by a 12-6 count. Coincidentally, YHS and HHS each went into the respective games' final frames with 33 points, while IHS had piled up just 17 on Day 1 and 24 on Day 2.
"We remembered them very well," Kiana Valdez said, speaking after a 39-29 loss to Yuma and alluding to last season's 43-18 setback against the same bunch. "Our game plan was to come out strong, scare 'em a little bit, because they were overlooking us. They're just a really, really good team."
In spite of the lost, Ignacio kept several of Yuma's players in single points, thanks to the low-post array of sophomores Larissa Gallegos, Makayla Howell and senior Allisianna Baker.
Converting a three-point play with 9.6 seconds left, Gomez finished with 10 points against YHS while Kiana Valdez registered five and Baker four. Herrera and Charlize Valdez each booked three.
On Day 2, Holyoke finished a devastating 20-of-26 at the free throw line. Ignacio was just 6-of-15 collectively from the foul line, after going a promising 7-of-9 against Yuma.
Baker again logged four points in the season-ending loss, while Howell upped her output from two against YHS to seven, and Gallegos from zero to two.
"You know, the girls battled day in and day out, and I'm so proud of all of them and how far we've come," Seibel said, after a stellar 21-4 winter. "It was a great season."
"The girls didn't come out scared one bit; they knew that they could compete."
Following a 39-30 loss to Limon on Day 1, the Holyoke finished 20-7 overall after holding off Rangely 46-41 on Day 3. Yuma, meanwhile, finished the season a perfect 27-0 after defeating 7-seed Evergreen Clear Creek 45 to 23 in the tournament's grand finale.
