Portales fends off Lady Braves for win
So, just who was this team that Wade Fraze gushed about Saturday night?
“They can all shoot, they can all handle the ball, they can all defend, they got quick hands, and they got lateral speed as well as up-and-down speed,” Fraze said.
The Portales head girls basketball coach could have been talking about his own Lady Rams after winning their second straight Bobby Rodriguez Capital City Tournament title. Except he was talking about the Santa Fe Indian School Lady Braves.
A year ago, Portales dominated SFIS to the tune of a 54-30 win in the championship game. This time, the Lady Braves battled back from an early 18-5 deficit to give the Lady Rams a scare before succumbing by a 47-40 count in Toby Roybal Memorial Gymnasium on the Santa Fe High campus.
Because of the heart and hustle the Lady Braves demonstrated, head coach Christie Abeyta felt emboldened by what she saw on the court and what it means for the rest of the season.
“We started off real slow, as usual,” Abeyta said. “But once we got into game mode and started playing our
style, we were all right. The confidence we gained we need to use to see more success. But I can’t anything more than I am proud of my girls.”
What Abeyta saw of sophomore point guard Hunter Garcia also impressed her. The sophomore scored 11 of her team-high 15 points in the second quarter as the Lady Braves chipped away at the Portales lead.
Garcia hit a 19-footer and a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to get SFIS within 27-21 with 1:28 left in the first half. The Lady Braves overcame an early 3-point onslaught by the Lady Rams, who hit three in the first 9 minutes of the game, with their own perimeter game that as Leanna Lewis hit a triple and Garcia collect a pair.
But the Lady Rams had an answer — 6-foot junior post Taylee Rippee. She was a constant, collecting 15 points and six rebounds, and the Lady Braves struggled to offer their posts any help because of Portales’ shooters.
Her big contribution came in the fourth quarter, with the Lady Braves still within 38-31. Rippee grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in while also collecting the foul. Her free throw made it 41-31 with 5:23 left.
“We just have to work harder and communicate more,” Garcia said. “We left some people open because of our communication, and we couldn’t help as much because of their shooters.”
THIRD PLACE LAS VEGAS ROBERTSON 43, SANTA FE HIGH 27
It was a sluggish affair until the Lady Cardinals unleashed themselves from their 2-3 zone defense. Employing a man-to-man defense, Robertson (5-1) outscored the Demonettes 10-4 over the final 4 minutes to take third place in the tournament.
Santa Fe High struggled in the opening quarter with just one point and trailing 14-1 after a quarter. Robertson managed an 18-9 lead at the half and 27-12 heading into the fourth quarter. Angelica Montoya led the Lady Cardinals with 14 points and Maria Barela had six of her nine points in the final quarter.
The Demonettes (3-5) were led by Adonica Baca-Martinez, who scored nine of her 14 points in the fourth.
FIFTH PLACE CAPITAL 38, BELEN 37
Sometimes, the breaks just fall your way. The Lady Jaguars (6-4) lived a charmed life in the fourth quarter, as a bank 3 by Kyannah Cole and a three-point play on a circus shot by Athena Vigil allowed Capital to overcome a five-point deficit and take the consolation championship.
The Lady Eagles (4-3) rallied from a 19-13 halftime deficit by outscoring Capital 13-7 in the third quarter to tie it at 26-all. Cole led the Lady Jaguars with 15 points, and nine came in the fourth quarter. Eryn Jaramillo paced Belen with 13 points.
SEVENTH PLACE ST. MICHAEL’S 42, DEMING 41 (OT)
Carissa Padilla had three chances at the end of overtime, but she only needed one. After getting fouled just past the midcourt line at the buzzer, Padilla hit the first of three free throws to give the Lady Horsemen (2-5) seventh place in the tournament.
Deming led 34-28 heading into the fourth quarter, but St. Michael’s outscored the Lady Wildcats 9-3 to force overtime. Padilla led the Lady Horsemen with 10 points, and Cia Alvarez added eight.