Peyton sophomore sparks historic win in 2A girls' basketball tournament

PUEBLO – Peyton made history by finally reaching the 2A girls’ state tournament. Then the Panthers wrote a new page Thursday by winning their debut behind a stellar effort from a reserve.

Sophomore guard Sarah Logar came off the bench and scored 19 points – the game’s lone double-digit scorer – and No. 5-seeded Peyton pulled away from No. 4 Sangre de Cristo, 55-33 at Massari Arena.

“We’re history every time we step on the floor,” Panthers coach Tony Goodman said. “We’re not just happy to be here. We’re not here to win one game and go home. These girls want to play.”

Peyton (21-4) next meets top-seeded Akron (25-0), the defending 2A state champions, in a semifinal at 8:30 p.m. Friday.

Shelby Patterson scored eight points and Taylor Bond added seven for Peyton, which led 12-9 after the first quarter and extended that advantage to 30-21 at halftime.

Logar scored eight of her team’s 18 second-quarter points, including two key 3-pointers at a critical time when the Thunderbirds (22-3) had started to seize the momentum.

“She hit a lot of clutch shots and was our spark plug in the first half,” Goodman said. “When we were sputtering, she seemed to ignite us. With us, it’s always someone new who can step up and lead us.”

The Panthers maintained that lead through the third quarter, holding a 38-29 advantage heading into the final eight minutes.

Logar became the team’s eighth different leading scorer this season.

“I just watch what everyone else is doing and pay attention, and my teammates help me out,” Logar said. “I saw that we could drive to the basket on them, and we all worked together. This team is amazing.”

Meanwhile, Peyton's defense held Sangre de Cristo leading scorer Kathryn New to only five points before she fouled out late in the third quarter. The Thunderbirds made just one outside shot the rest of the way.