"In the first half, we came out and did a lot of things we don't normally do," Demons girls basketball coach Mary Psenda said.

"We had a lot of one-and-dones: one pass, shot. Offensively, that's a big no-no."

Fortunately the alarm clock was set for 7:45 p.m., not a.m.

Durango (15-8) responded to its could-be-worse nine-point halftime deficit with a 37-point second half and a 59-48 first-round victory against Wheat Ridge in the Class 5A Girls State Basketball Tournament.

It must have been an interesting halftime.

"The mood at halftime was we are not going to lose at home," Demons point guard Katerina Garcia said defiantly after the game.

"We are going to be the Cinderella team."

The shoe didn't fit in the first half.

Save for a steal and ensuing fast-break layup from Garcia and a couple of spot-up 3-pointers from Rhea Haidaris, the Demons showed little offensive life. They were outscored 21-14 in the first quarter, then labored to a 31-22 halftime deficit.

"At halftime, we talked about moving the ball, passing the ball to the corner, passing the ball to the high post, actually running a team offense," Psenda said.

"In the second half, we were getting the shots we wanted, and we were getting to the free throw line."

The shoe fit in the second half.

Durango's half-court trap forced six turnovers in the third quarter, and Garcia's baseline jumper with 1:10 to play in the frame tied the game at 36.

Sierra Cardenas answered with a baseline jumper of her own on the Farmers' next possession to regain a two-point lead.

Garcia, on the Demons' next possession, worked her way out of traffic in the paint with a spin move and an assist to Morgan Gurule.

Gurule's jumper from the elbow tied it at 38, the score at the end of the third quarter.

"In the second half," Garcia said, "we played like we've been playing."

Garcia milked the team effort approach to start the fourth quarter. She penetrated the lane, pump-faked a pass to Jami Cagle on the wing, then hit a pull-up jumper from the elbow for a 40-38 lead.

Kelsey O'Connor, the Farmers' leading scorer, answered with basket to tie, but Haidaris one-upped the sophomore with another 3 and a 43-40 lead.

"Rhea showed her seniority (Thursday night)," Garcia said. "All three seniors (Cagle, Haidaris, Kaela Maynes) did, really. We did not want to lose their last home game."

Haidaris' 3 sparked the decisive 11-0 run.

After a Farmers' turnover, Haidaris' presence at the top of the key forced the defense to the perimeter, so she penetrated to the free throw line and hit a pull-up jumper.

Neely Surmeier followed with six consecutive points and a 51-40 advantage.

"That's great when Rhea is hitting her shots," Psenda said. "She is one of those players that understands the one-and-done."

Haidaris was one of three Demons in double figures with 15 points: Surmeier scored 12, and Garcia had a game-high 18 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals.

O'Connor, who averaged a double-double this season, finished the game with seven points.

Caitlin Wilkie led the Farmers with 17 points.

"In the first half, everybody was shooting shots that we haven't taken all year long," said Psenda, whose team was 20 percent from the floor (5-for-25) in the first half compared to 55 percent (11-for-20) in the second.

"A lot of that was nervousness, too. Hopefully we got that out of the way."

Durango, the No. 6 seed in the Kaye Garms region, plays at No. 3 Air Academy (19-4) in Colorado Springs at 7 p.m. Saturday.

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