Breaking News
Home / Sports News / A doubleheader sweep for Capital basketball Thursday night

A doubleheader sweep for Capital basketball Thursday night

A doubleheader sweep for Capital basketball Thursday night as the girls’ defense shuts down Albuquerque Academy and the boys winning another tough test over Albuquerque Del Norte The District 2-5A semifinal results set up the finals, with the Jaguars girls at Espanola tonight, and the boys at the
top-ranked Sundevils Saturday night

By Arnie Leshin 
Arnie Leshin

Thursday night was a special one for Capital High School in its Edward A. Ortiz Memorial gymnasium.

Special because it was the District 2-5A semifinals and it included both the Jaguar girls and boys, and who knows when this last occurred. It’s not unusual for the boys to play host, but for the first time in a decade, the girls joined in to share the crowded happy house applause in the unprecedented doubleheader.

Both teams suffered key losses in the final week of the regular season. The boy’s 6-foot-4 junior starter Matt Smith was released from the squad after the regular-season contest at Albuquerque Del Norte. How, why, is the question and Capital won’t furnish the answer. Smith was its tallest player and best rebounder.

The girl’s 5-8 junior starter Kyannah Cole had a season-ending torn right posterior cruciate ligament during practice the final week of regular season play. She has been the team’s leading scorer the last two seasons, and probably it’s best player.

Despite this, there was no interruption as both teams advanced to the district semis, the boys via a tiebreaker over Del Norte, the girls by one game over Del Norte.

And now they both play for the district tournament championship at first place Espanola Valley, the girls coming off the 36-24 win Thursday night in the opener over Albuquerque Academy and will head for Sundevil land for tonight’s finale. Espanola is automatic for the state tournament and Capital still has a shot at gaining a berth. A win tonight will seal the deal.

Same with the boys. They claimed a tough 51-49 win over Del Norte similar to the two other tight games in the regular season. They will play at Espanola Saturday night. While the Sundevils (25-1) head the field in 5A and will advance to the state tournament, the Jaguars (20-6) are assured of a top-5 berth.

And while Capital’s boys were beaten handily in the two previous tests against Espanola, the girls split, with the Jaguars winning the one on the road, which no doubt gives them more confidence.

Under new head coach Darren Casados, Capital has made a complete turnaround with its finest season in a decade. It sports a 14-13 overall mark and has mixed in a balanced lineup with a pressure defense and a super attitude. Whatever Casados, a 1993 Capital graduate, has done, it’s been successful.

Against the Chargers, who upset Del Norte in the quarterfinals, it was a solid defensive stand by the visitors, and leading the way was Audrey Gonzales. She scored only two points, but said that defense is the favorite part of her game, and that it’s what beats the other team.

Academy was stymied from the outset. The Jaguars rang up a quick lead and maintained it throughout. And each time the Chargers cut into the deficit, the Jags never panicked. They picked up key 3s from junior Miranda Cortez, and key buckets from 5-9 senior Ishara Sorensen.

Early on, it was Jaguars’ 6-1 freshman Ethena Silva paving the way with three baskets, but she also came away with a pair of first-quarter fouls. Sorensen applied solid defense against Academy’s 6-foot senior and leading scorer Kelsey Crist, who wound up with a dozen points, eight below her average.

Its second leading scorer is guard Andrea Park, and the defense of Savina Romero held her to a season-low three points.

Sorensen scored eight of her nine points after the opening quarter and Cortez was took care of the 3, making all of them when the Chargers cut into the 12-point lead.

Now the boys have to figure out a way to hang with Espanola, which defeated them 83-65 at home and 90-66 on the road. It has more height, more experience, a troublesome balanced lineup, and a new head coach in James Branch.

The Jags had their usual tight test with the Knights, similar to the previous 52-46 win at home and the 56-54 setback in Albuquerque. This one decided in the final six seconds when freshman Dominick Luna of Capital took a short pass from senior Aaron Garcia, dribbled twice, and laid it in off the glass to bring the final score.

David Flores, the Knights’ leading scorer who tossed in a buzzer-beater in the previous 2-point setback, had a chance to knot the score with 22.6 left and two free throws. But he missed both. Then, with the buzzer ready to sound off, it was Daniel Flores missing a 30-foot heave that bounced off the rim.

It was the usual nip-and-tuck contest between the teams. The Jaguars spent most of the game building a lead, only to see Del Norte answer the challenge.

The Knights held a 25-23 halftime lead, but the home side bounced back to grab a 35-28 advantage. Then Del Norte (11-15) scored seven of the next nine points to get within 37-35, and then went in front 47-43 before Jags’ Chris McKnight tossed in a 3 to cut the margin to one.

Then came the hectic final minutes. Sophomore T.J. Sanchez led Capital with 12 points and sophomore Seth Arroyos added 10.

Check Also

All in the world of sports

By Arnie Leshin  The world champion United States women’s soccer team wins on the field …