The Española Valley Sundevils won the Jaguar Invitational in Santa Fe for the second consecutive season with a 49-40 victory Dec. 20 over Capital, the tournament’s host.
“I am very pleased with the effort the boys showed tonight.” Española coach Richard Martinez said.
The Sundevils’ high pressure defense and constant substitution helped to wear out the Jaguars.
With tensions high, the game got off to a sloppy start with Capital and Española Valley combining for 16 turnovers in the first quarter. Sundevil star guard Matthew Brito also ended up on the bench in foul trouble as the quarter ended in a 12-12 tie.
Española began the second quarter with a 4-0 run that was started and ended by Ryan Salazar, who hit a 15-foot jump shot and scored on a layup.
Capital Coach Ben Gomez called a timeout to slow down Española’s momentum and it worked as the Jaguars scored the next five points.
Brito re-entered the game and stopped Capital’s run by making a three-pointer.
With 2:20 left in the second quarter, Española made a 6-0 run to take the lead, one the Sundevils would not relinquish the rest of the game. At the end of the second quarter, Española was up 31-25. Both teams still struggled with turnovers in the second quarter: Capital tallied eight and Española nine.
The Sundevils came into the tournament with a 9-1 record. A loss to Pueblo South from Colorado was the team’s only blemish. Martinez expected a great championship game considering they were playing a District XAAAA rival that had a 7-3 record entering the game.
“This is what we want. The boys have worked hard to get to this game, and win or lose, this will prepare us to get to the state championship,” Martinez said.
To start the third quarter, the Sundevils put on a tight man-to-man defense. The constant pressure created lots of trouble for the Jaguars, who only scored three points in the third quarter. Even with set plays, the Jaguars couldn’t get the ball into the low post.
On the other side, the Sundevils were also being pressured with a man-to-man defense, which only allowed for six points in the third quarter.
The Sundevils had six turnovers yet managed to score on the fastbreak. At the end of the third quarter, Española was up 37-28 with the largest lead of the game.
The Jaguars came out with a 4-0 run to start the fourth quarter. Martinez continued rotating players in the fourth quarter providing fresh legs to keep up the man-to-man pressure. At 4:59 left to play, Española called time out as Capital cut the lead to five points. At 1.22 left to play, Capital called time out and was only down 46-40.
However, the Sundevils’ constant pressure kept the Jaguars from scoring the remainder of the game.
Brito was the high scorer of the game with 15 points despite being in foul trouble for much of the game.
“I came out real strong in the first quarter and saw the open shots and took them,” he said. “I was frustrated with quick fouls, but I kept my head in the game.”
Española’s Donovan Maldonado was named the most valuable player of the tournament after scoring 19 points in the semifinal game and four points in the title game.
The Sundevils’ next game is scheduled for Jan. 6 in the opening round of the St. Michaels Tournament.