SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
What Ira Harge, Jr. started, his former assistant coach Arthur Gonzales had handled very well as the Pecos boys basketball team continues to roll along in District 6-2A.
Saturday night‘s 75-59 win over visiting Texico before the usual large turnout at the Louis G. Memorial court was the seventh straight district championship, the first four by Harge and Gonzales has turned in the rest.
This time as the Panthers improved to 24-3 overall, they forced 34 turnovers with their pressure defense. They dictated the tempo and overcame a sloppy start on the offensive end, with Texico (15-12) able to take a 23-19 lead as the home side made good on only seven of its first 30 shots.
But no panic among the Panthers who have been to six state semifinals, played in five finals, and won four of them.
“We gotta rely on our defense,” Gonzales said. “We preach it, and it doesn’t have a bad day.”
Backed by their defense, Pecos capitalized in the last three minutes of the first half, outscoring the Wolverines 14-2 to swing momentum its way.
Now it heads again into the state tournament. Gonzales now has won the same titles as Harge as he tries to add another.
In the 2-3A final played at St. Michael’s Perez-Shelley court, the Horsemen once again turned back Robertson, this time 83-68 for the district championship and a shot at a state title.
For that, St. Michael’s (23-4) and the Cardinals (23-5) will no doubt be among the top three seeds that will be announced Sunday.
Senior and leading scorer Adam Montoya turned in the game-high 35 points while sophomore guard Sabiani Rios and senior wing Marco C’de Baca added 12 each as the Cardinals held a 47-40 halftime lead.
The Cards got within 54-49 but St. Michael’s turned in five straight points and the visitors never got closer.
