St. Michael’s girls get a rewarding lengthy actual-play break

The St. Michael’s girls basketball team got a dominate win, improved to 7-2 overall, and now takes a lengthy break from actual games until after the Christmas break via Saturday’s 48-7 romp over visiting Albuquerque Bosque Charter.

Head Lady Horsemen coach Sonya Ruiz said this was accomplished with pressure and speed.

“We held them to just two points in the first quarter” she said, “and building the lead in the process. We were able to score so many in that quarter because of steals at the top of the press.”

Senior point guard Lauryn Pecos, in that role since eighth grade, turned in 11 points in her first appearance after a week on the sidelines, and Jada Lujan added eighth.

The next game for St. Michael’s will be on December 27 as they play host to the annual Lady Horsemen holiday tournament against Albuquerque Sandia Prep in the opening round.

Well at least Monte del Sol’s girls put the ball in the basket, but it was like a football touchdown and extra point in the 50-9 shellacking at the annual Ben Lujan tournament played at Pojoaque Valley Saturday. Now winless in five starts, this one came following the 80-0 shutout versus Pojoaque.

Meanwhile the Elkette girls dropped a 30-26 contest against Crownpoint in the third-place game of the tournament. Now 5-5, Pojoaque plays next in a non-district contest at Raton Wednesday.

In boys play, after getting off to three-straight victories, the Monte del Sol boys have now lost five in a row after falling to Mesa Vista, 60-56, on Saturday. The Dragons were again led by versatile 6-foot-4 senior Kevin Enriquez who tallied 23 points, but only five following halftime.

Monte del Sol hopes to get back in the winning column when it plays at Coronado Tuesday.

The Elks won their own Ben Lijan tournament by edging Portales, 66-64, in overtime and upping their overall record to 9-2. Tobias Velasquez showed the way with a team-high 19 points, and was instrumental in his team’s 43-32 comeback that began the fourth quarter, with the Elks forcing overtime at 56-56.

Both Pojoaque Valley and Portales will play in the first round of the Rams’ tournament on Jan. 5.

Santa Fe Indian School was beaten, 44-33, by Silver in the third-place game of the Lujan tournament and dropping to 5-4 overall by falling behind 24-17 at the intermission. The Colts maintained the advantage, outscoring the Braves, 10-5, in the third quarter and holding them to but four second-half field goals, but Owen Pecos came away with 16 points for Indian School.