Mesa Vista boys basketball coach Thomas Vigil spoke to his team after their loss in the opening round of the Ben Lujan Invitational tournament.
Whatever was said during that team meeting had the desired effect. The Trojans defeated future District 3AA rival Peñasco 73-54 in the first round of consolation Dec. 19 and then crushed Cimarron 74-42 Dec. 19 to take home the consolation trophy.
“Our discussion after the (Grants) game is what turned our attitudes around,” Vigil said. “They’re putting in 100 percent.”
Against the Panthers, the Trojans were led by Jaime Cruz, who poured in 30 points. Mesa Vista took control of the game in the second quarter by outscoring the Panthers 28-17 to take a 43-30 lead at halftime.
“The win over Peñasco was a quality win,” Vigil said. “The day after a huge letdown we put together a complete game against a big rival.”
Mesa Vista and Peñasco will battle in District 3AA competition later this season. Although the Trojans’ victory over the Panthers at the Ben Lujan won’t count toward their district record, the ability of the Trojans to take the lead and keep it without allowing their opponent to come back was something Vigil was looking for.
“We’re working on it,” He said. “These past two days have definitely helped.”
In the consolation championship game against Cimarron, the Trojans wasted no time in taking control.
Kris Buzzard scored the game’s first two points and the Trojans took a 14-0 lead before the Rams were able to score. Mesa Vista’s Estevan Trujillo tallied 11 points in the first quarter and the Trojans took a 25-10 lead.
The shots just kept on falling for the Trojans until the final buzzer, when Mesa Vista’s Matthew Torrez sank a three-pointer for the game’s final points.
Giron finished with 26 points and was named to the all-tournament team. Trujillo added 13 for the Trojans.
The Trojans won’t return to action until Jan. 3, when they travel to Gallina to take on the Coronado Leopards.