Surprising 55-54 win Thursday night for Espanola Valley

It’s been decades since the Espanola Valley girls won three-straight Lady Horsemen Christmas tournaments under three different head coaches. Thursday night, it was under head coach Joe Estrada’s surging Sundevils carrying off the championship trophy.

Espanola had come into this tournament with a 2-7 record, but bounced back to surprise the field by winning three in a row and capping it off with a tight 55-54 triumph win over Taos and dropping the Tigers

Now 5-7, the Sundevils never led until 5-foot-1 senior guard Joni Martinez, in her fourth year on the varsity, tossed in a game-winning 3 after five ties. Her basket came with 33 seconds remaining.

Just the one lead change, but it was close throughout. There was an initial deadlock at 5-5, followed by one at 14-all, another at 29-29, then at 41-41 before the final tie at 52-52 that led to Martinez’ heroics. She finished with the team-high 23 points.

Taos was in front 14-8 after one quarter, it was 29-29 at halftime, 41-all after three quarters, and then came the Martinez bucket for her team’s initial lead and the title.

It was a tournament of close games, with this being the fifth by a single point. Host St. Michael’s, which lost 28-25 to Albuquerque Hope Christian in the fifth place contest, lost to Penasco, 46-45, then edged Albuquerque Sandia Prep, 41-40, and in its three games, was outscored only 114-111.

The Lady Horsemen also had close calls in 39-38 and 47-44 losses against Socorro. They play next on Jan. 6 against Moriarty (6-2) in tournament play on a neutral court.

Another close contest was Los Alamos’ getting past Penasco, 38-35, for third place, and in the game for seventh place, it was Pecos handily turning back Sandia Prep, 46-26.

The Hilltoppers advanced to 7-5, the Panthers dropped to 6-4, Pecos is now 4-8, and Sandia Prep fell to 1-11.

As for the Lady Horsemen, they had numerous draughts throughout, most of them costly. They often fell behind in the first two quarters and then played catch-up. they were led by 5-9 junior forward Carmen Pacheco in scoring and rebounding, and 5-7 junior Lauryn Pecos’ play-making and defense.

In other tournament finals, Santa Fe High’s 3-game win streak ended in the 41-36 defeat to host Goddard, and dropped it to 6-6 while Goddard is now 7-5.

And at the Striking Eagle Native American Invitational at UNM’s Johnson gymnasium, Santa Fe Indian School had its 4-game win streak ending in the 61-49 title loss to defending 3A state champion Navajo Prep, with the Braves now at 11-2 and Prep advancing to 10-3.