Durango bested Douglas, 70-38, in the Nevada Class 5A boys state semifinals
Courtesy NFHS Network
Douglas High boys basketball had its chances against Durango Friday night in the Nevada Class 5A boys state semifinals.
At the first half, the Tigers trailed by seven, 22-15, and had shown the ability to keep pace with the Trailblazers.
However, Durango took charge in the second half, outscoring Douglas 48-23 over the final 16 minutes to run away with a 70-38 win.
For the Tigers, it marks the second consecutive season where they’ve drawn the curtain on the year as a top four team in the state.
It’s been 44 years since the Tigers’ have had such a successful two-year stretch.
The last time Douglas High boys basketball had back-to-back appearances in the state tournament were the 1978-1979 seasons.
Hanging tough
Douglas opened the contest with the lead after Thomas McDowell knocked down a triple in the corner.
After Durango answered with the next eight points, Jeremiah Pitts checked in and drained a 3-pointer of his own from the wing.
The Tigers trailed 10-6 after the first quarter only due to some missed shots around the rim.
Caden Thacker used a pump fake and drive to bring the Tigers within two, 10-8, with 6:55 left in the half.
A JC Reid layup was the last bucket for Douglas until inside of the final minute of the half.
Theo Reid deposited a two to end the Durango run at 20-12 before Thacker was able to heave a half-court shot for three as time expired.
After the buzzer-beater, Douglas trailed 22-15 at the break.
"You can't turn the ball over against a team like that. , they were able to get to the middle of the key and get scores. That's the one thing we try to pride ourselves on. ... That was a big spot there."
From there, it was all Durango as the Trailblazers went on to outscore Douglas 23-10 in the third quarter to extend their lead to 45-25.
"Durango is just athletic, man. They're very, very patient with everything they do," said Douglas High head coach Corey Thacker. "We just made a couple mistakes that third quarter and it blew up the lead a little bit, but our kids kept battling the entire game."
The fourth quarter was similar as Durango extended its lead by attacking the Tigers' 2-3 zone.
Durango will go on to play Liberty for the Class 5A state title Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Thomas and Mack. Liberty bested Bishop Manogue in the later state semifinal.
The Tigers will graduate five members of this year’s team in the spring – Theo Reid, JC Reid, Aden Flory, Jack Tolbert and Thomas McDowell.
Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will continue to be updated.