Season Recap: Intermountain League

With the season coming to an end earlier than we would have liked, we've been taking a look back at some talented teams that were fighting for the No. 1 spot in Class 3A. Let's continue with a look at the Intermountain League &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18pt"><strong>Who won league in ’19-20</strong></span> Pagosa Springs won the league, finishing with a record of 9-1 in conference play and 20-4 overall. The runner-up for league was Centauri with a record of 8-2 and 21-3 overall. Though they ended up with a better overall record than Pagosa Springs, the Falcons came up short in three head-to-head matchups throughout the season. The first time the two teams faced off, the score was 49-35 in favor of Pagosa Springs. In the second matchup between the two teams, Centauri took the game into overtime but Pagosa Springs took the win, 57-50. When these teams saw each other again in the 3A tournament, Pagosa Springs was on a mission and ended up winning 50-33. Alamosa was another contender in the league, winning 18 games and finishing with a 7-3 conference record. The Mean Moose was the only squad to take down Pagosa Springs in league play. &nbsp; <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Five players that shined</span></strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="145402" first="Emily" last="Lavier"] (Alamosa)</strong> Lavier can score in bunches, averaging 14.2 points per game to lead Alamosa. She is an able shooter behind the arc, where she went 56 for 155 (36 percent) in 2019-20. Her ability to stretch the floor allows her to create opportunities for herself off the dribble. Lavier's ability to score allows her to get the touches she needs to help her team secure wins, shooting 90 for 245 (37 percent) from the field. Lavier put up a season high in points with 38 on 13 for 24 (54 percent) from the field. <strong>Macee Schulz (Bayfield)</strong> Schulz is a player that has a strong presence in the post on the defensive end. Standing at 6-foot-2, she is able to get her hands on a lot of blocks and deflections in the post. Schulz averaged 11.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.6 blocks per game. She led the Intermountain in rebounds and blocks. After a rough loss in her team's first game, she bounced back and started to dominate by hitting a career high in points with 22 on 10-for-16 (63 percent) shooting in a win against Salida on Dec. 14. <strong>Haley Griego (Pagosa Springs)</strong> Griego led her team in points and rebounds. She does well running the floor in transition, making her an easy target down the court. In her last season with Pagosa Springs, she averaged 10.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Griego stands at 5-foot-9, making her a great rebounding guard. She does well finishing around the rim and with contact. Griego put up her season high in points with 19 twice later in the season, which was five points shy of tying her career high. <strong>Mia Garcia (Centauri)</strong> On a very talented team with an overall record of 21-3, Garcia leads the way in points per game. She averaged 10.0 points per game on 75-for-211 (36 percent) shooting from the field. An able shooter that can knock down shots from behind the arc, Garcia shot the ball from behind the arc at a 10-for-26 (38 percent) clip. Despite not shooting the ball often from the 3-point line, it regularly drops when she does. She scored her career high in points against Kent Denver with 18 points on 5-for-14 (36 percent) shooting from the field. <strong>Paige Yarbrough (Montezuma- Cortez)</strong> Yarbrough stands at six feet tall and has both great size and length with some athleticism to her game. She is the team's leading scorer with 9.3 points per game and went 75 for 193 (39 percent) from the field this past winter. She moves her feet well on the defensive end, disrupting offensive flow.  Along with averaging 9.3 points per game, Yarbrough also averaged 6.1 rebounds and has been showing good improvements in her game each year. In the class of 2021 she will have another year to prove what she will be able to bring next year.