Late 3 secures win for Robertson
Maria Barela’s 3-pointer from the baseline with four seconds left helped visiting the Las Vegas Robertson girls basketball team to a dramatic 49-47 win on the road at Portales on Friday night.
It was the second time in eight days the two Class 4A powers have met. They have been the top two teams in the rankings each of the last two weeks.
Portales (7-2) rolled over the Lady Cardinals in the semifinals of the Capital City Tournament in Santa Fe last weekend, then followed it with convincing wins over Santa Fe Indian School and West Las Vegas before hosting Robertson on Friday. Unlike the first meeting, the Lady Cardinals were healthy and ready, according to head coach Leroy Barela.
“We had two girls with the flu that first game, which made things a little tough,” he said.
Friday’s game was close the entire way. Portales opened its biggest lead of six points in the fourth quarter, but the Lady Cardinals (6-1) rallied to tie it with half a dozen unanswered points on three straight possessions.
A Portales free throw with 20 seconds left set up the final sequence. Barela called timeout and called for Maria Barela, his daughter and the team’s freshman point guard, to drive the lane and dish to a post player or take the shot herself. When the Lady Rams sealed off the point, Barela faded into the corner, took a step back and drained the game winner.
It happened to be the perfect gift for her dad; Friday was Leroy Barela’s birthday.
“Just the kind of present I wanted,” he said.
Maria Barela had 17 points and five rebounds while Tessa Ortiz had 11 points to go along with three assists. Jasmine Jenkins added 10 points and half a dozen rebounds with four steals.
Robertson’s next test comes in the middle of next week with a road game at perennial state power Albuquerque Hope Christian.
ARTESIA 60, CAPITAL 54
Help is always welcome on defense. The Lady Jaguars, though, needed someone to help the helper on Friday night.
The Artesia Lady Bulldogs took advantage of Capital’s inability to provide more defensive support before Capital found the right adjustment. Unfortunately, it came too late as Artesia held on for a 60-54 nondistrict win in Artesia.
A slow start for the Lady Jaguars allowed the Lady Bulldogs to attack the paint and take a 13-9 lead after a quarter and a 31-22 advantage at the half. The margin grew to as much as 16 points before Capital finally slowed down the inside attack.
“Our help-side defense wasn’t there, especially helping the helper,” Capital head coach Darren Casados said. “One girl would help and no one would come and help her.”
The Lady Jaguars (6-6) overplayed entry passes into the post and freshman center Athena Silva scored 17 of her 19 points in the second half to help cut the lead down to two points late in the game. Capital missed on a pair of 1-and-1 opportunities at the free-throw line and the Lady Bulldogs held on for the win.
Lady Jaguars guard Miranda Cortez added 16 points in a supporting role, and Kyannah Cole had 12. Gracie Puentes had 20 points to lead Artesia (3-2), and Kali Crandall added 10.
BOYS RUIDOSO 76, WEST LAS VEGAS 70
The Dons needed most of the last three quarters to overcome a 19-11 deficit, and even held a one-point lead late in overtime before the Warriors rallied and pulled away in a nondistrict game in Ruidoso.
Clyde Sanchez, West Las Vegas’ head coach, said the slow start came back to haunt his team.
“We just didn’t get it going on offense in the beginning,” Sanchez said. “The effort was there, but we need to play more consistently, from start to finish.”
Jared Paiz had 21 points for the Dons (4-4), Diego Gonzales added 17 and Steven Sandoval had 11.
The Dons return home to play Texico at 4 p.m. Saturday.
ACADEMY FOR TECHNOLOGY AND THE CLASSICS 64, SANTA FE WALDORF 61
The Wolves found themselves down 41-37 entering the fourth quarter, but battled their way to a 61-all tie when Liam Otero drained a 3 with less than 30 seconds left.
The Phoenix, though, hit a free throw to break the tie and added an insurance basket. Otero tried to tie it again with a desperation heave from halfcourt, but it missed.
ATC (3-4) rallied from a 16-12 deficit after a quarter by outscoring the Wolves (1-2) 16-9 in the second quarter and 12-11 in the third to build its lead.
TENNIS SANTA FE HIGH’S FARR COMMITS TO DOANE UNIVERSITY
Santa Fe High senior tennis player Lilly Farr signed a letter of intent on Friday to play at Doane University, an NAIA school in Crete, Neb., next fall.
Farr won the District 1-6A doubles title as a sophomore with Dakota Haradan and played in the No. 1 position in singles and doubles last year. Farr has played on the varsity since she was in eighth grade.