SAN MIGUEL COUNTY – If it appeared Saturday evening that Lincoln Williams was spending more time than usual playing defense … well, he may have been.
That’s because he often didn’t have to run Bayfield’s offense for very long.
“We were just getting back on D … and letting Cooper do the work!” he said following the Wolverines’ vicious 76-31 road win over nonleague 3A Telluride. “We got a big revenge ‘W’ last night, and then it just carried over to today – we knew we were going to get business done.”
Bayfield improved to 5-3 overall with the win and Telluride fell to 3-5 overall with the loss.
Building upon a 65-48 victory on Friday at Aztec, BHS built up an 18-10 lead through one quarter inside the MinerDome, went into halftime up 39-18, and eventually rocketed into the fourth frame leading 66-22 – thanks in large part to senior Cooper Roderick catching fire, scoring 30 points and never burning out.
Perhaps fueled by seeing sophomore reserve Hayes Malone’s corner three-pointer with 1:23 left in the first quarter, involving a perfect pump-fake getting a THS defender to leave his feet and fly on by, Roderick started the second quarter nailing his first trey, ended it with another and then got Bayfield immediately up to speed after intermission with his third triple – sank from the corner opposite BHS’ bench, with Williams providing the assist.
“My boys always find me, always know when I’m hot and they hit me,” said Roderick, who was just getting started with the Wolverines already well ahead, 42-18. “I make eye contact with whoever’s taking it down, then I’ll make my move to get open. And they … just know.”
Having assisted on all the other aforementioned makes from deep, Williams would register six of his own eight total points during the third, but eagerly deferred to Roderick – who knocked down four more threes before the quarter expired, putting the visitors up by a crowd-hushing 44 points.
“That was a team win, honestly; we all helped out,” he said. “The boys were helping with the boards, steals, defense – and offense too! We all could have gone off, but tonight … was just in my favor, and it felt good to just sit the bench in that fourth quarter.”
Crashing inside for two fourth-quarter buckets, junior center/forward Vin McCullough ended up totaling eight points and nine rebounds.
Having earned a team-best 12 points for Telluride in a 53-44 loss the previous night at Ouray, senior guard Sam Herman was held to one triple and just four total points. Junior forward Langston Silbergeld, who’d scored eight against the Trojans, logged a THS-leading nine points against Bayfield.
“We didn’t have very many games before break so we worked hard during,” said BHS head coach Damon White Thunder. “I’ve been pushing these kids for defense – that’s what I’m most impressed with and most proud about – and offense, I know, will come; we’ve got so many shooters all over the place. But it was a good game and good week of basketball for us.”
Bayfield will begin IML work Friday night at home versus Alamosa. Results from the team’s Tuesday tuneup inside BHS Gymnasium against 2A Blanding, Utah, San Juan (6-8 overall) were unavailable at press time.
“Defense is key – that’s our anchor – but we’ve got to play as a team,” Roderick said. “Then we can take anybody.”