West Mesa’s experience pays off

Top-ranked Mustangs dazzle Volcano Vista

The veterans taught the youngsters a lesson.

West Mesa’s experienced lineup — three years ago, the Mustangs were about as young and raw as this Volcano Vista team is now and had their own growing pains — put on a first-half clinic Wednesday night. It nailed seven 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes as New Mexico’s No. 1-ranked team cruised to a 55-42 home victory over the sixthranked Hawks.

“I think they’re still learning to play together,” West Mesa coach Manny Otero said of Volcano Vista, which often had four freshmen on the floor. “Playing against top teams will help them out. Sometimes you learn from your losses. We definitely did.”

Those young Mustangs of 2015-16 are now a full-fledged, and undefeated, powerhouse.

West Mesa (14-0) destroyed Volcano Vista’s zone defense — if there’s one girls team in Class 5A that can shoot its way around any zone, it’s the Mustangs — with a 3-point barrage in the first two quarters.

“We stayed in it (the zone) a little too long, and they made us pay for it,” Hawks coach Lisa Villareal said.

Maiah Rivas buried two early 3s for West Mesa, which started the game on a 13-0 run against Volcano Vista (11-4).

She added two more 3s in the early stages of the second quarter, when the lead swelled first to 25-9, then later to 38-14 in the final 90 seconds of the half.

All of West Mesa’s nine 3-pointers came before halftime. Jaden Castellano and Emily Burk both dropped in a pair of 3s in that decisive first half for West Mesa.

Asked later if she could recall a night when these Mustangs seniors were freshmen, if they ever had tough halves like the one Volcano Vista endured at their hand, Rivas smiled.

“That is so long ago,” she said. “I honestly have no clue.”

Volcano Vista’s only true consolation was having outplayed West Mesa in the second half.

“Our girls, they’re young, they’re learning, and what I’m proud of is, they didn’t give up,” Villareal said.

Rivas led West Mesa with 19 points. She briefly left the game midway through the third quarter after injuring her left knee, but returned for the start of the fourth quarter.

Giannah Aragon had four 3s for Volcano Vista and had 12 points. The Hawks did not attempt a single free throw.