Yuma High School’s girls basketball team will be hitting the long, winding road for a chance to qualify for the 3A Great 8.
The Outlaws are the 13th seed in the 32-team regional field. They will be making the 402-mile trip to fourth-seed Cedaredge for a four-team regional, Friday and Saturday.
They first will play 20th-seed Monte Vista on Friday at 7 p.m., following Cedaredge taking on 29th-seed Ignacio.
Yuma enters the postseason with an 11-12 record after placing sixth in the regular-season ending Patriot League Tournament last week. Monte Vista is 11-11. The only common opponent is 4A No. 1 University, who beat both.
Yuma coach Jeremy Robinson said video shows the Pirates’ guards are quick.
“I’m just looking to get a read on them,” he said.
Cedaredge is the likely opponent if Yuma can win Friday. It would be a quick turnaround as the Sweet 16 game is scheduled for 11 a.m. The regional winner advances to the Great 8 next week in Magness Arena at the University of Denver.
Robinson said the Bruins, 23-0, have a tall, stout player that is very good, and have another guard that can be a problem.
“It’s hard gauging them because of who they played,” Robinson said, noting that Yuma’s strength of schedule is considerably higher than Cedaredge’s. “But they know how to win and have confidence in what they’re doing.”
The Outlaws traveled to Strasburg last Wednesday for a Patriot League Tournament consolation semifinal.
They were able to avenge an earlier loss to the Indians with a 35-25 win. Yuma led 10-5 after the first quarter, and led throughout the rest of the game.
The Outlaws shot just 33 percent, and committed 31 turnovers, but came up with 32 rebounds and 13 steals.
Jade Lungwitz had 10 points, five assists and three steals, Taryn Sheffield 10 points, four rebounds and four steals, Bailey Nighswonger four points and two rebounds, Berkley Nighswonger four points, Carolina ross three points, four rebounds and three steals, Aubrey Black two points, and Alina Moran two points and three rebounds.
The win sent them into the fifth-place game against Wiggins, Saturday at Weld Central High School. The Outlaws never could get going offensively, losing 42-25 while shooting 27 percent.
Lungwitz had nine points, Bailey Nighswonger five ointsand five rebounds, Moran four points and two rebounds, Sheffield three points and four rebounds, Ross two points and three assists, and Berkley Nighswonger two points and four rebounds.
Yuma enters the postseason having scored no more than 35 points in its last three games, after showing some scoring ability at times throughout the season.
“Our achilles heel right now is offense, which will be a pretty serious focus this week in practice,” Robinson said. “They’ve shown they can score, but we need to get back to that. Now’s the time to do it.”
The coach noted the Outlaws have played 12 teams in the 3A or 4A top 10.
“Hopefully we can work some magic (this weekend),” Robinson said. “We’ll find out one way or another.”