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Host Capital girls advance to winner’s bracket against Albuquerque High, but it’s the consolation bracket for Santa Fe High versus Espanola Valley in day two today of the Al Armendariz Invite
Jaguars turn back Mesta Vista, Demonettes lose to Aztec, which now plays Goddard in the other winner’s bracket
By ARNIE LESHIN, Santa Fe Today
Cindy Roybal is not in the best of moods. It’s even doubtful that she will greet some of her former Espanola Valley players when they meet in today’s consolation round of the annual Al Armendariz basketball tournament at Capital High.
Neither team is having a smooth start, but Roybal’s concern is now with the Santa Fe High team in her first season as its head coach after leaving the Sundevils.
The resounding opening 71-27 loss at Mesa Visa can be shrugged off, for the Mustangs have all returnees from last year’s 20-2 team. But Thursday’s 36-33 setback to Aztec can’t be dismissed. An 18-4 Demonettes lead disappeared and Roybal was fuming.
Not to elaborate on what happened to the strong start, there were 10.5 seconds remaining and Aztec’s Sierra Sanders on the foul line and hoping to extend the 36-33 advantage. When she missed both, Santa Fe grabbed the rebound and quickly called a time out.
“I tell them exactly what to do in a timeout,” Roybal said. “I don’t know where the mental block is.”
What transpired was that after she instructed Kaya Suina or Adrianna Baca-Martinez or Taylor Salazar to get off a shot, a 3 to tie the game. Instead, Salazar dribbled to the right corner and threw up an off-balance shot that wound up behind the backboard with 01.4 left.
“They just don’t trust me,” said Roybal after that.
Losing the 14-point lead was inexcusable, and perhaps that, too, was a mental block.
So now it’s the Demonettes (0-2) against the Sundevils (1-3), whose lone win came over Taos and one huge setback was 47-9 versus Carlsbad. But in their tournament opener, they did come close, losing 42-39 to Roswell Goddard.
But host Capital did make it into the winner’s bracket and will play Albuquerque High, which turned back Pecos, 53-46. After the 46-39 win over Mesa Vista, the Jaguars advanced to 3-2 under new head coach Darren Casados.
In the other winner’s bracket, Goddard, the defending state 5A champion, takes on Aztec, with both bringing in 2-0 records. In the other consolation round match-up, Pecos (1-1) lines up against Mesa Vista, which fell to 0-2.
Capital began slow, trailing 20-17 at halftime, but began the third quarter on a 14-0 run led by junior Kyannah Cole. She led that run before the home crowd by tossing in eighth of the points, and finished with a team-high 12. Junior Miranda Cortez added nine points, with seven of them coming in the third quarter.
As for Santa Fe High, it didn’t lose the early lead abruptly and even led 21-8 on a basket by sophomore Amber Lucero. But then the Tigers burst away on a 14-4 run to trim the gap to 25-22. It was nip-and-tuck the rest of the way but Aztec found the way to make the right plays while the Demonettes faltered in the final minutes.
