DEER TRAIL — Bay’lee Purdy has crammed an astonishingly large amount of points into perhaps the smallest gymnasium known to mankind.
The Deer Trail gym — where the Purdy-led Eagles defeated Hanover 52-26 on Thursday night in the Class 1A District 7 quarterfinals — has only three rows on each side, so spectators are only a whisper away from the action.
That is not a bad thing, considering that the state’s top scorer in all classifications plays for the home team. Purdy, a 5-foot-7 junior, averages a tick under 30 points a game (29.6) and posted a 51-point performance this month against Flagler.
“She’s getting some (NCAA) D-I looks right now, and I think that’s justified,” Eagles coach Aaron Dille said.
Thursday likely marked the first time in which all four other Eagles starters scored before Purdy, who missed her first five shots. But the shooting guard finished with a respectable line of 19 points and 10 rebounds for a much-improved Eagles (14-6) squad.
“I know a lot of people at the big schools think ‘small school, she can’t play,’ ” Purdy said. “But it’s not as tough as some people might think it’d be. I know everyone out here knows what I can do.”
Those wondering whether the numbers will translate at the next level can use the measuring stick of Bay’lee’s elder sister, Tae’lor, who plays at Regis University and averaged 14.7 points as a freshman last season.
“She’s very tough and she can shoot, and I like that,” said Hanover senior Rachelle Mitchell, who finished with 11 points.
The Eagles blitzed the Hornets (10-10) by 30 through the first three quarters, meaning Purdy sat out most of the fourth.
“She was disappointed it wasn’t closer because she could have gotten to shoot more,” Dille said with a laugh.
Purdy considers playing Division I ball her “ultimate goal” but said she wouldn’t mind playing in the right system of Division II.
Hanover 6 6 3 11 — 26
Deer Trail 16 14 15 7 — 52
Hanover — Smith 0 0-0 0, Mitchell 5 1-5 11, Bernal 1 0-0 2, Gonzales 2 0-0 5, Dalton 3 2-3 8, Brown 0 0-0 0, Romero 0 0-0 0, Mendoza 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 3-8 26.
Deer Trail — Miller 3 0-4 6, Jolly 3 0-0 6, G. Hrelja 3 0-0 6, Purdy 6 6-7 19, Mock 3 1-2 7, Myers 0 0-0 0, Chapman 0 0-1 0, A. Hrelja 2 0-2 4, Linnebur 2 0-0 4. Totals 22 7-16 52.
3-point goals — Gonzales; Purdy. Total fouls — Hanover 13, Deer Trail 14.
