B-4
SPORTS
THE NEW MEXICAN Thursday, March 13, 2014
STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT CLASS A BOYS
Escalante beats Dora in overtime me want another one.” The Lobos pulled away late by outscoring the Coyotes (24-5 overall) BERNALILLO — When Reynaldo 13-2 in the overtime period, but reguAtencio emerged from the locker lation was never that lopsided. room after a Class A State TournaDora jumped to a 5-0 lead and ment quarterfididn’t allow Escalante to score for Escalante 65 nals win, he was the first 3 minutes, 35 seconds of the already wearing Dora 54 opening quarter, but the Coyotes had a piece of state a mere 9-8 lead on the Lobos at the championship hardware. end of the first quarter. The Escalante boys basketball The two teams traded leads six senior wing had his 2012 state chamtimes in the second quarter and pionship ring on his right hand, which tied twice at 14-all and 16-all, but the he won with the football team in 2012. Coyotes went on a 8-2 run to end the The fifth-seeded Lobos aren’t quarter and go into halftime with a champions in basketball yet, but they 27-22 lead. are one step closer after beating No. 4 The schools switched leads Dora 65-54 in overtime in Bernalillo’s three times in the third quarter, but Richard Joseph Kloeppel GymnaEscalante was on top 39-37 entering sium. the final quarter. The win gives Escalante (23-3) a Dora took a 50-48 lead with semifinal game with No. 1 Cliff at 1:02 left in the game from a layup 4:45 p.m. Thursday in Bernalillo. from 6-foot-4 senior center Dylan Atencio still wears his old chamPrivett. Atencio then tied the game at pionship ring as motivation to put 50-all with a pair of free throws with some ice on his other finger before he 42 seconds left. leaves Escalante for good. After Dora took the lead once “I look down, and I see this hand again with a shot from Jestin Watson, missing one,” Atencio said, beckoning the Lobos were down 52-50 with to his unjeweled, left hand. “It makes 29 seconds left. On the ensuing play, By Edmundo Carrillo The New Mexican
Prep: Kick hurt momentum Continued from Page B-1 self during a heated argument in a 65-53 win over Crownpoint in the opening round, Casados stressed to the Blue Griffins (23-5) to keep their wits about themselves during the heat of play. “I told everybody, including this head coach, we need to go to Rio Rancho and hopefully to The Pit on Saturday and we need to keep our heads and stay focused,” Casados said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t do that.” The incident occurred as Prep had the ball and the lead in the final 30 seconds. With the Wolverines applying pressure on the Prep guards that induced the cold streak, Casados called for a timeout just as Perea, who had the ball, and Doolittle were moving toward the Blue Grifffins’ bench. Just as the official awarded the timeout, Perez swung his left leg at Doolittle, who tumbled in front of the Prep team. Another whistle followed for the infraction, leading to a dramatic pause by both teams. “Honestly, I was like, ‘You got to be kidding me,’ ” said Scott Karger, Texico head coach. “ ‘I cannot believe this just happened.’ We needed a break at that time, and for that to happen was just insane. And it was big.” The call swung whatever momentum the Blue Griffins had in the other direction. Not only did they give up two free throws, but they also lost possession of the ball. After Reyna hit his free throws, Prep had two opportunities to score, but D.J. Casados’ corner 3 was off the front of the rim and Will Lenfestey’s 10-footer off the offensive carom was too hard. Casados and Lenfestey, two of Prep’s four seniors, fell to the ground in agony, having seen their last, best chance at playing for a state title slip away. Prep junior Ian Andersson, who had 10 points, 19 rebounds and five blocked shots, said the team didn’t do enough to win. “We turned the ball over way too much,” Andersson said. “We didn’t do the little things right, and it got away from us in the end.” Like six turnovers over the final 9 minutes and going just 1-for-6 down the stretch from the field. What might have irked Casados more were the six free throws Prep had overall, not to mention going 1-for-4 from the line in the final 5:13. “We’re never on the line, and I have big kids,” Casados said. “Our guards are being handchecked down the floor. But’s neither here nor there. I don’t even want to go there. We got beat by an excellent ball club. They were ranked all year number-one [according to the MaxPreps. com rankings] and for good reason.” But the Blue Griffins had not lost to a AA school all season. They showed why for the first two-plus quarters. Perea hit three 3s in the first quarter and Prep went 11-for-20 over the final 10:57 of the first half to take a 30-18 halftime lead. Andersson had 12 rebounds in the first half as the Blue Griffins held a 23-13 advantage on the boards. It looked like Prep was going to kick it into an extra gear in the third quarter as an 18-8 spurt upped the margin to its zenith. The warning signs, though, were apparent as Texico used a variety of full-court and half-court pressure to coax six turnovers in the quarter. Prep had five more in the fourth, and Texico transitioned those miscues into four layups and four free throws before Brannon Karger’s 3 with 2:05 left cut the lead to 51-50. Karger said the Wolverines’ District 4AA battles with Clayton, which has strong post players in Dakota Montoya and Mark Craine, taught his team to try and apply more pressure on guards to offset that strength. “We felt like we had the experience in playing against Dakota and Crain,” Karger said. “They are just huge, mammoth men. So we decided to put a little pressure on their guards.” And pressure did the Blue Griffins in.
Escalante sophomore guard Dominic Montaño was fouled on a drive to the basket. Montaño made both free throws to tie the game at 52 a piece. Dora could not get a shot off after calling timeout with :03.4 left, and the game was sent into overtime. In overtime, The Lobos opened up with a 6-1 run before eventually putting the Coyotes away. “After we got a five-point lead in overtime, I thought we had it,” Atencio said. The Lobos didn’t take the game by beating the Coyotes with better strategy. During a timeout with 3:30 left in regulation, Escalante head coach Bill Russom spared his team the X’s and O’s, and instead went with a more straightforward approach. “We asked the boys to make plays,” Russon said. “We told them what separates us now. These boys just stepped up and made some plays.” Russom got good plays out of several players as four Lobos scored in double figures. Montaño and backup junior point guard William Hurd had 12 points a piece and were a part of a youth movement that stepped up
when seniors like forward Norman Salazar fouled out in the fourth quarter with zero points. “We’re fortunate that we’re so deep,” Russom said. “When you have three or four guys that can step up and do that when you’re missing someone of Norman’s caliber. Even Atencio — who finshed with 14 points and six steals, four of which came in the second quarter — admitted that it that it is convenient for the seniors to rely on young players like Montaño and Hurd. “It is really important to have sophomores that are that caliber of athlete stepping up for us,” Atencio said. “They can play any position. Instead of having three main players, we are seven strong.” Now the Lobos play a the defending state champions, but Russom knows it’s going take more than luck to beat the top-seeded Cowboys and give Atencio a chance to fit a ring for his left hand. Sometimes, all it takes is a little bit of old-school strategy. “I think we created our own luck in overtime,” Russom said. “Defensively, these boys dug down deep.”
CLASS AAA
Confident Dons vanquish Ruidoso West Las Vegas poised to take on Hope Christian
father of D.J. Bustos, couldn’t be happier with that statement. “I like that coming from a baby here,” coach Bustos said. “The good thing is, like I tell them, you have the opportunity, and a lot of teams right now By James Barron would like that opportunity. The New Mexican You got to go out there and RIO RANCHO — In order believe in yourselves. Basically, to succeed, you first have to I think right now our team is believe. about the only one who thinks we can pull off the upset. Well, the West Las Vegas Dons have that down. “It’s going to be tough to do. A lot of things have to go right They do not lack for confor us. But we’ll get in there and fidence, especially when it go down fighting.” comes to W. Las Vegas 73 taking on If anything, the Dons have the titan the firepower to stay within Ruidoso 57 of Class shouting distance of Hope. AAA. West Las Vegas made Against Ruidoso, senior transclear its mission on Friday fer Cody Najar exploded for morning, which is to knock off 26 points, with 17 coming in the top seed and defending state first half of an back-and-forth champion Albuquerque Hope track meet. His ability to attack Christian in a AAA semifinal. the basket kept Ruidoso on its After the fourth-seeded Dons heels. dispatched No. 12 Ruidoso “I was trying get our kids to 73-57 in the finale of the AAA play him a little bit differently,” quarterfinals in Santa Ana Star said Dennis Davis, Ruidoso Center, they seemed poised and head coach. “Play him a little bit confident about their chances more to take away that driving against the Huskies. Never opportunity because he was mind that Hope Christian has being so effective driving to not lost to a AAA team in the basket. I just don’t think the 21 tries since St. Michael’s beat kids responded real well to it.” the Huskies 47-44 on Feb. 7, Najar relished his slashing 2013. The Dons (19-8) are ready role, scoring seven straight for the challenge. points to finish the first half and “They’re beatable, and I think keep West Las Vegas within we’re the team that can beat 36-35 of Ruidoso (11-18) at the them and get at them,” said D.J. break. Najar admits to feeling Bustos, the Dons freshman for- more comfortable in his role ward who had 16 points against over the past month and a half the Warriors. after the former Mora standout David Bustos, West Las successfully appealed his hardVegas’ head coach and the ship transfer petition with the
New Mexico Activities Association after a two-month battle that included a court injunction. “I realize how everyone plays,” Najar said. “I know where if D.J. drives, I know to back out or stay in there for help. It’s been better to mesh with them over time.” Najar’s presence makes the Dons a more dynamic team, especially with D.J. Bustos, Sebastian Bustos and Martin Castellano equally capable of making teams. Castellano and Bustos took center stage in the second half, combining for 17 of West Las Vegas’ 24 third-quarter points as it took a 59-47 lead. Castellano nailed two 3-pointers in the opening two minutes and had 10 points in the third quarter. D.J. Bustos scored the last five points, including a three-point play off a baseline drive with :03.9 in which he absorbed a blow from the left hand of Ruidoso’s Blayne Maldonado for the 12-point margin. “We were having a little trouble matching up with everyone,” Davis said. “They got some easy opportunities early on, and that number 24 kids [Castellano], he was lighting us up. It wasn’t terrible defense, but everything he did was positive for him.” Now, the Dons are looking for some positive thinking to carry them into the biggest game of their season. Fortunately for them, they also have some talent to go with a belief.
St. Mike’s: Offense focus in 2nd When asked what it was that got him going in the third quarter, Flores said it was essentially was at one point a 13-point Shiprock lead and Father Time. 27-17 margin at halftime into a slow, grinding “Senior year,” he said. “Last year you’re going defeat devoid of much scoring. to be on this court. Last time. No senior wants to So, coach, what about that defense? go out in the quarterfinals. It’s just that drive that “Actually all we talked about in the locker pushes you to get every ball, get every rebound room was offense,” Geyer said. and put it back up. We want to keep going, we Specifically, it dealt with pounding the ball don’t want to stop right here.” inside to post players Justin Flores and Isaiah Flores finished with a game-high 17 points and Dominguez. The strategy worked, as Flores went nine rebounds. Dominguez had a double-double to work in the third quarter by scoring eight with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Starting guards of his team’s first 10 points as the Horsemen Marcus Pinchera-Sandoval, Chris Lovato and chipped away to make it a one-possession game Bradley Vaughan comined for 20 points, many of midway through the quarter. them coming in the second half when the HorseWith the Chieftains forced to deal with Flores men forced turnovers and continually broke becoming the focal point, the fouls began to Shiprock’s full court press, converting them into mount and the Horsemen took advantage by transition buckets the other way. sinking their free throws. Sent into the bonus “Once they started feeding the big men, we midway through the third quarter, St. Michael’s couldn’t stop them, really,” said Shiprock guard scored 11 of their 19 points in the period from the Justin Begay. “After a while they started forcing charity stripe. turnovers and getting easy baskets.” It was Dominguez who put the Horsemen While Geyer rotated his matchup zone with ahead when he converted a driving layup in the his man defense, not to be overlooked was his final minute of the quarter. After trailing the substitution patterns. With the luxury of depth entire game, St. Michael’s never gave up the lead in the backcourt, he pulled Lovato in favor of after Dominguez’s bucket made it 34-33. It was Andrew Griego midway through the fourth part of a larger 21-6 run that turned the game quarter and instantly got points as Griego had around. two fastbreak layups in the span of 24 seconds to open a 50-39 lead. Shiprock head coach Chester Atcitty lauded Griego led the bench players with nine points Geyer’s coaching, but he said the difference was his team’s inability to handle the Horsemen bigs. on 4 of 5 shooting. The Horsemen did all that without hitting “Since the beginning of the season that’s been one of our biggest problems; we need a big guy,” a single 3-point shot. For the game they were 0-for-7. They did, however, hit 13 of 19 field goal he said. “Things happened along the way, we attempts in the second half — a paltry 68 percent dealt with the players, the cards that we have. We got them ready the best that we could. They compared to Shiprock’s 4-for-25 effort. [the Horsemen] just did an awesome job posting Andre Joe led Shiprock with 12 points. Hiram up and being aggressive.” Gleason had 11 and Begay 10.
Continued from Page B-1
TENNIS BNP PARIBAS OPEN
Anderson, Raonic, Federer win By Beth Harris
The Associated Press
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Kevin Anderson upset Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-1 in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday, joining Milos Raonic in sending home two top-10 players. Sixth-ranked Andy Murray joined Wawrinka on the sidelines, losing to the big-serving Kevin Raonic, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Anderson Two-time tournament winner Novak Djokovic played a late match. Anderson ended Wawrinka’s 13-match winning streak that included his first Grand Slam title in January. Wawrinka didn’t face a break point in his first two matches, but he got broken in his first service game against the 6-foot-8 Anderson, who had 11 aces and connected on 64 percent of his first serves. “I was complaining a lot about my serve, about the way I was playing, and with that, I don’t deserve to win matches,” Wawrinka said. “I should have been more positive with myself, just trying to find solution because it was still a close match.” After losing the first set tiebreaker, Wawrinka left the court for nearly eight minutes to have his back worked on. He returned and broke Anderson twice in taking the second set to even the match. “It’s just tightness,” he said, insisting he wasn’t injured. “I was a little bit nervous and tight and tired.” Anderson earned all four breaks in the third in completing his 150th career match win on the ATP Tour. “Game plan is just to get as many first serves back as possible just to give myself the best look in his serve games throughout the match,” he said. Anderson advanced to the quarterfinals against four-time tournament champion Roger Federer, who beat 11th-seeded Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-4. Against Murray, Raonic earned his first win over a top-10 player since September. He fired 15 aces and held triple match point when he ripped a crosscourt forehand to close out the win after breaking Murray three times in the final set. “The third set was just a bad, bad set of tennis,” said Murray, who broke Raonic to lead 2-1 before losing five of the final six games. Murray, ranked sixth in the world, struggled in all three of his matches at Indian Wells. He rallied from a set down to beat Lukas Rosol and Jiri Vesely, but couldn’t overcome Raonic’s power. “He obviously wins a lot of free points with his serve,” Murray said. “So over the course of the set, if you give up enough unforced errors on basic shots, then with the amount of free points he gets on his serve, that’s going to add up to a negative result.” Raonic blew his first match point when he returned Murray’s serve long. Murray held to trail 5-3, but Raonic held at love to close out the match. He hit 42 winners to 22 for Murray. On the women’s side, sixth-seeded Simona Halep defeated Australian qualifier Casey Dellacqua 6-2, 6-2 to earn a berth in the semifinals.
Cardinal Stritch beats NNMC 74-53 Cardinal Stritch was No. 1 for a reason. The Northern New Mexico College men’s basketball team found out why on Wednesday. Cardinal Stritch got 26 points from Derek Semenas and rolled to a 74-53 win in the opening round of the NAIA Tournament in Point Lookout, Mo. The Wolves (30-4) held Northern New Mexico (16-16) to just 29.5 percent shooting from the field, including an 8-for-30 effort in the first half to take a 34-22 lead. The Eagles managed to cut the margin to 38-29 with 16:29 left in the game, but Cardinal Stritch went on a 14-5 run to up the margin to 52-34. A pair of former Española grads led the way for the Eagles, as Matthew Brito had 19 points and Rodney Coles added eight. The New Mexican