Durango boys hold off Gorman, advance to state — PHOTOS
Durango senior Tylen Riley isn’t going to lie. His body is bruised and tired. He’s looking forward to the ice bath and recovery day that’s in front of him.
There’s a reason he’s so exhausted. Riley was one of four Durango players who was on the court for every single second of their physical, fast-paced 63-55 road win against Bishop Gorman in a Class 5A Southern League semifinal Thursday.
But the Trailblazers have clinched a berth in the state tournament, making all the sacrifice, the running and the effort more than worth it.
“When we won the game I almost got emotional,” Riley said. “We’ve been through so much.”
Durango junior forward Taj Degourville and sophomore guard Mason Brown both scored 17 points. Bishop Gorman sophomore forward Chris Nwuli led all scorers with 19 points.
It’s Durango’s first appearance in the state tournament since 2020, and the team’s first win against Bishop Gorman since 2008. Durango will play Liberty at 5 p.m. Saturday for the 5A Southern League championship.
“My guys fought,” interim coach Mike Lee said. “They’ve wanted this for a while.”
Lee and fellow assistant Tim Jones took over after coach Chad Beeten abruptly resigned earlier this month.
While Durango advances to the state tournament, Bishop Gorman’s season is finished. It’s the first time the Gaels and coach Grant Rice haven’t made the state tournament since 2008.
“We just came up short tonight,” Rice said. “Durango played really well.”
Durango entered the game knowing it was short-handed because junior forward Michael Bartlett, the team’s sixth man, was unavailable. Degourville said the team practiced without subs in preparation.
The game was tied at 20 after the first quarter, but Durango jumped ahead in the second because of its defense. Led by Riley, the Trailblazers held the Gaels to just nine points in the period, while Degourville and sophomore guard Jevon Yapi each scored 12 first-half points to help Durango take a 38-29 lead into the break.
“We worked way too hard to just let this all go to waste,” Degourville said.
Gorman didn’t go quietly. Degourville picked up his fourth foul with 2:02 remaining in the third quarter and exited for the rest of the period. A big 3 from Gaels senior Eli Bradley was quickly followed by a foul on junior Jase Richardson, who was shooting a 3. He made all his free throws to get Bishop Gorman within four points heading into the fourth quarter.
The Gaels’ press worked effectively, giving them extra possessions, and Nwuli was able to find a rhythm going at Degourville, who was trying to avoid fouling out.
However, the Durango defense completely shut down Gorman in the half court, and Brown and Riley made just enough free throws to secure the win.
“We’re ready to go to the next one,” Lee said. “We’re trying to win this state title.”
Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.
