Once more it was heroics for St Michaels High

Whoops, another tight tussle goes to the St. Michael’s boys basketball team in Wednesday night‘s state tournament quarterfinals against visiting Navajo Prep.

It was the second of back-to-back adventures at Perez-Shelley Memorial gymnasium for the 4th-seeded Horsemen. And with this cliff-hanger 41-40 survival over the 5th-seeded Eagles, it was a huge turnout stomping onto the court a few seconds after senior Adam Montoya’s baseline jumper with seven seconds remaining in regulation.

At the time, St. Michael’s had been trailing 40-39 with about 12 seconds left, but when it got the ball back, there was Montoya lining up a double-clutch jumper.

For a bounce-back group that began the season with 10-straight losses that brought to 2-12, it put the Horsemen at 15-14 for the first time over .500, and set up Friday’s night 7:30semifinals contest versus No. 1-seeded Socorro (21-5) at the Rio Rancho Events Center after the Warriors disposed of 8th-seeded Crownpoint, 66-47.

In the other semis, it’s 2nd-seeded Robertson (21-6) which won two of three against the Horsemen in the district 2 regular season, going against another district foe in the 11th-seeded, surprising 11-15 Santa Fe Indian School. That game is slated for a 1:30afternoon start.

The Braves have improved their game, and despite their seeing and below .500 record, and three out of three defeats to the Cardinals, will have to keep watch on 5-9 guard Matthew Gonzales, the Robertson senior who is one of the best players in the state. He has damaged the hopes of other opponents, now he will be out to send visiting Indian School packing.

It’s remarkable how the Braves have been hanging around, with the latest stunner a visiting 64-63 overtime thriller over 3rd-seeded Albuquerque Sandia Prep, which had more size, depth and experience, but Indian School is enjoying these road trips.

In the first round, it traveled up to 6th-seeded Raton and returned with a 46-40 triumph, so home and away has been good at this time, and now comes the biggest test of meeting up again with Robertson and maybe turning the law of averages into a win this time.

The championship game is set for Saturday at the University of New Mexico Pit and with a scheduled 2 p.m. start. And for district 2, it has three of the Final Four who could make it there.