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Ignacio's Justina Jessepe attempts a three-point shot over Bayfield's Kieley White Thunder (4) during 3A/4A Intermountain League play Thursday evening, Feb. 12, inside BHS Gymnasium.
Ignacio's Gracyn Archuleta (32) prepares to pass a secured rebound away from Centauri's Sydney Haslett during 3A/4A Intermountain League play Friday afternoon, Feb. 13, inside IHS Gymnasium.
Ignacio's Aubree Lucero (44) considers picking up her dribble upon seeing Centauri's Lyndie Sowards (12) closing in Friday afternoon, Feb. 13, during 3A/4A Intermountain League play inside IHS Gymnasium.
Ignacio's Alyssa Atencio (2) shoots a baseline jumper while pressured by Bayfield's Kieley White Thunder (4) during 3A/4A Intermountain League play Thursday evening, Feb. 12, inside BHS Gymnasium.
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
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Lady ’Cats bested at home by birds

Monday - February 23, 2026 by Joel Priest | Special to the Drum

Centauri girls flock, rock IHS by 33 

Ignacio sophomore center/forward Veronica Brown won the initial tip. 

Junior Rylie McCarroll and visiting Centauri – ranked No. 4 in Class 3A – won just about everything else Friday afternoon, Feb. 13, inside IHS Gymnasium and denied the Lady Bobcats a chance to fully follow up their victorious effort the previous evening by dealing Ignacio a 58-25 loss before most would-be attendees’ work days had concluded. 

After Brown gained IHS the 3A/4A Intermountain League contest’s first possession (at roughly 2:45 p.m., rather than the typical 5:30 or so), which yielded no points, La Jara-based CHS then went on a freakishly-fast 10-0 run – featuring three layups by sophomore Paityn Sowards, with the last coming after she intercepted a pass meant for Ignacio senior Juliann Avila, who was kneeling to re-tie one of her shoes. 

In something of a comic coincidence Sowards had to do likewise mere seconds later – but wisely did so during a dead-ball pause. Avila, fittingly, then got the Lady ’Cats on the scoreboard with a jumper assisted by junior forward Aubree Lucero, but Sowards answered with two more close-range conversions – as did McCarroll and sophomore Lyndie Sowards, helping the Lady Falcons close out the first quarter on a game-breaking 14-0 tear and thus begin the second stanza up 24-2. 

Never really easing their foot off the proverbial gas pedal, the guests responded to Brown’s quarter-opening free throw, coming with 7:00 left until halftime, by outscoring Ignacio 14-3 the rest of the way and taking an insurmountable 38-6 lead into intermission. 

Having won 47-28 at local IML rival Bayfield on the 12th, the Lady ’Cats finally reached double figures – via senior guard Alyssa Atencio’s put-back of a Brown miss – against Centauri with 6:07 remaining in the third quarter. And with the score standing 37-10, Ignacio actually battled CHS rather evenly and eventually began the final frame down 53-20. 

McCarroll rattled in a shooter’s-roll three-pointer from the corner and Lyndie Sowards netted CHS’ final two points, while Lucero drained IHS’ only three and Atencio knocked down her sixth and seventh FTs (out of eight total attempts) as the sides somehow broke even during the last eight minutes of the Lady Falcons’ authoritative away win. 

Paityn Sowards, who played sparingly during the fourth quarter, finished with a game-high 16 points while McCarroll totaled 14. Junior Kynlei Curtis scored six points before halftime and eight for the contest, while Lyndie Sowards ended up logging six points as another of the ten players booking at least one for CHS (16-3 overall, 9-0 IML). 

Scoreless during the first quarter while slowed by two early fouls, Atencio still paced Ignacio (4-15, 2-7) with her 13 points – no small accomplishment considering the Lady ’Cats lacked junior regulars Maliyah Martinez and Catori Aasland, allowing the Lady Falcons to focus more exclusively on her. 

Lucero (2-2 FT) ended up with five points and Avila four before she fouled out with 2:03 left in regulation. Freshman Gracyn Archuleta netted IHS’ only two bench points via her third-quarter hoop, but starting freshman forward Justina Jessepe ended up scoreless after her court time was curtailed by four first-half fouls. 

Looking ahead, Ignacio will – expected bad weather permitting – wrap up regular-season action hosting 4A No. 8 Alamosa (15-5, 8-2 IML) at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, then traveling to 3A Monte Vista the next day for a slated 2:30 p.m. start. Results from IHS’ 2/17 home game versus 4A Montezuma-Cortez (8-12, 2-7) were unavailable at press time. 

 

BRUSHING OFF BAYFIELD 

 

Pushed for most of the first quarter inside quickly-filling BHS Gymnasium, the Lady Bobcats were able to expand their 9-7 lead to 22-9 going into halftime of what ended up being a 19-point road win. 

Avila booked five of her nine total points during Ignacio’s breakout second quarter, which Lucero sewed up by sinking the first of her two, and second of IHS’ four total treys. Lucero would finish with a game-high 13 points, while Martinez booked 12 and Atencio (4-7 FT) eight. First to strike from long distance, Jessepe (2-4 FT) chipped in five points. 

Junior guard Kimball Anderson and junior forward Grace Brown each scored nine points to pace the Lady Wolverines, who then dropped to 3-17 overall, 0-10 in league the next evening after losing 44-7 at home to MVHS (11-8, 5-4). 

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