SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
Santa Fe Indian School was hoping for a sweep in its annual basketball invitational, but settled for a split after it concluded Saturday.
The boys title went to the Braves as they got past Albuquerque Menaul, 62-56, to advance to 12-4 overall, extend their winning streak to seven, and drop the Panthers to 8-5 in the tournament played at Indian School’s Pueblo Pavillion.
But the girls final belonged to Navajo Prep as it edged the host Braves, 39-37, via the tight tussle ending on Aniya Johnson’s 3-pointer with a dozen seconds remaining in the game.
The outcome left Navajo Prep at 12-3 overall, but it took a late rush in order to hoist the championship trophy in the next to last final. The Braves (14-3) had led most of the way and with five minutes left the advantage was 35-27.
Then it fell behind 35-31 with the clock showing three minutes. That’s when Johnson, a 5-10 senior, took over after already putting in six points. She tallied on a layup off a 3-point play at the 2:07 mark and got the Eagles to within 35-34 when 5-4 sophomore teammate Lailah McCary swished a corner 3.
Then the Braves 5-7 sophomore Emma Lewis quickly drove in for a breakaway layup about 15 seconds later and the Braves had a shot at hanging onto the thin lead when Johnson missed a jumper with 40 seconds to go, but along came Indian School’s Kendra Emery with a shot that rimed away and set the stage for Johnson’s heroics.
Braves head coach Terri Morrison wasn’t happy that Johnson was able to get the shot off as the clock ticked down.
“She didn’t make a contested shot all game,” said Morrison in regard to Johnson, but this time she got a wide-open look, and bingo, she took a win away.”
Morrison might have felt that Johnson didn’t hit any contested shots, but Johnson scored eight of her 13 points in the frenzy of the final 2:30, and the Eagles had their fourth straight victory.
For Indian School, senior point guard Madisen Valdez tossed in a dozen points and another eight came from teammate Lewis.
The boys final was also close.
Menaul had more height, but the Braves shot better and did well on the defensive end. The Panthers had prided themselves on their tuition game, and it worked most of the time.
The visitors even trimmed a 22-15 gap into a 26-22 lead early in the third quarter after they forced the home team into four turnovers.
But back came Indian School down the stretch. It was first 5-7 senior Jamal Alonzo tossing in a 3 from beyond the arc 79 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Taylor Torivio, a 5-6 senior, then scored on a shot off the back board glass and that was followed by an 8-0 run midway through the final eight minutes.
There was also 5-11 sophomore Kenyen Callado, who had the game-high 17 points plus some key late buckets, and the Braves maintained the advantage despite lacking size, but their greatest strength came on balance and team play.
In the other tournament games, third place to the boys went to Santa Fe Prep in a 64-57 triumph over Mesa Visa, fifth place belonged to Moriarty when it downed McCurdy, 61-50, and the seventh spot was a real close one as Laguna-Acuma nipped Raton 55-54.
In girls play, the downfall continued for winless Monte del Sol as its record fell to 0-13 after yet another shellacking, this in the contest for seventh place at 35-3 to the combined team of Santa Fe Waldorf-Santa Fe Prep.
The Waldorf-Prep twosome moved its record to 5-4 as Ria Baker turned in the team-high 12 points. The Dragons scored a grand total of 21 points in the tourney.
In the fifth place game, it was Laguna-Acuma downing Raton, 54-25, and in the contest for third place, it went to Mesa Visa as it rolled past Cuba, 58-38.
In other Saturday games, the St. Michael’s girls became 11-6 overall as they easily handled East Mountain, 58-12, in non-district play behind the game-high 16 points from senior Lauryn Pecos, senior Jada Lujan adding 12 and nine coming from junior Mia Duran.
St. Michael’s begins District 2-3A play on Jan. 21 with a game up at Raton.
In a boys game, it was close before Robertson disposed of Albuquerque Sandia Prep, 56-53, in the non-by district game. The Cardinals are 13-2 overall and start 2-3A play with a visit from Santa Fe Indian School Wednesday.
