St. Michael’s girls hold visiting Taos

St. Michael’s girls hold visiting Taos to but four field goals in a 34-22 opening round of District 2-4A win, and play next at West Las Vegas tonight. Lady Horsemen might have to play four games in five days in the district tournament that brings both good and
bad when it comes to the NMAA seeding Sunday

By Arnie Leshin 

The New Mexico Activities Association figures the more the merrier, which is why the St. Michael’s girl’s basketball team has a chance to receive a berth in the state tournament.

Now at 10-16 overall after winding up the District 2-4A regular season in next to last place. Which is why the Lady Horsemen earned a first round district tournament game Monday night against last place Taos.

The 34-22 win resulted in the Tigers handing in their gear after a 7-19 campaign. It reversed Taos’ previous 36-29 win at home over St. Michael’s.

Two tight defensive games, with the Lady Horsemen needing this one to play tonight at third place West Las Vegas (17-9), which swept the two regular-season games against St. Michael’s.

In both starts versus the Dons, WLV had two big quarters, scoring 20 points in the opening quarter at St. Michael’s only four games ago that opened up a 20-9 lead. In the earlier one at West Las Vegas, it was a 20-point third quarter that put the contest out of reach via a 57-39 result. The other game ended at 45-35.

Defense and an array of mixed shots combined with forced turnovers is what did the trick for the Lady Horsemen in this one. A box and one with junior Joelyn Fernandez being the main force held Taos senior Aaliyah Quintana to six points, but when leading scorer Quintana rolled her ankle on defense in the second quarter, she remained on the bench until the fourth quarter.

The Tigers could make only four field goals and had only seven points in the second half, and concluded with 12 losses in their last 13 starts.

St. Michael’s junior point guard Cia Alvarez dropped in a midrange jumper late in the third quarter before fouling out not long after. But her banked jump shot brought a 9-point lead for the home side and she finished with 10 points.

Senior Jodi Gromley, at 5-foot-9, had the game-high 14 points, with 11 coming in the first halt. Her 3-point shot in the first quarter made it 9-8 and the Lady Horsemen remained on top until the final buzzer. She was tough for Taos when posting down low.
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The St. Michael’s-West Las Vegas winner plays Wednesday night at runner-up Pojoaque, with the finals at first place Las Vegas Robertson Saturday. The Cardinals get an automatic spot in the state tournament by winning the regular season.

In the opening game of the District 2-5A, it was last place Los Alamos turning back Albuquerque Academy, 62-53, and will line up tonight at Albuquerque Del Norte, with the winner meeting up with runner-up Capital in Thursday’s semifinals.

It was the same match-up in the girl’s game, but this time it was the Chargers coming out on top 49-40 over the last place Hilltoppers to move them into Thursday night’s doubleheader at Capital, with the girl’s game versus the Jaguars scheduled for 5:30 and the boys to follow.

In 5-4A girls, Albuquerque Sandia Prep made it to the next round by handing East Mountain a 47-36 defeat. In 2-3A boys, Monte del Sol lost a close one when Dulce emerged on top 72-69.