There was 1:20 left on the game clock when reserve guard Rodney Coles sank a free throw to give the Española Valley Sundevils a 50-48 lead over the Los Alamos Hilltoppers in the District 2AAAA championship game Feb. 27 at Española.
The Sundevils had held the ball for over three minutes prior to Coles’ free throw, passing the ball around the perimeter and passing up shots they might normally take before Coles was fouled.
It was no mystery where the Hilltoppers would go with the ball on their ensuing possession. Junior Alex Kirk, a 6-foot-11-inch tower in the paint, had scored 27 points and had been unstoppable in the low post. Los Alamos would likely lob the ball inside to Kirk, and he would put up the shot that could tie the game.
As expected, the ball went inside to Kirk and he turned toward the baseline to put up his short jumper. What happened next brought the screaming Sundevil fans to their feet in the sold-out gym.
Sundevil junior Luis Alvarado, who was giving Kirk a good seven inches, reached up, blocked Kirk’s shot, came up with the ball and was fouled. Alvarado went to the line and sank two free throws to give the Sundevils a 52-48 lead with 1:05 left to play.
“I went up thinking I could get it,” Alvarado said.
It was the play of the game.
“We love (Alvarado),” senior Daniel Archuleta said. “We needed that block.”
The shaken Kirk missed two free throws on Los Alamos’ next possession. He was at the line again with 21 seconds left to play and missed his first free throw before finally sinking one.
Alvarado was fouled on Española’s possession and he knocked down two more free throws to give Española a 54-49 lead. Los Alamos threw the ball away on its next possession and Coles finished off the Hilltoppers 56-49 with two more free throws. Española won its third straight District 2AAAA title.
The Sundevils had started the game with a 6-0 run in the first quarter and held a 33-25 lead at halftime.
Española extended its lead to 12 points after a reverse layup by Ryan Salazar in the third quarter. The Sundevils led 45-40 going into the fourth quarter.
Kirk helped Los Alamos cut the lead to one point in the fourth quarter with a three-point play and basket inside. Coles missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity, but Española got the ball back after a turnover and held the ball for over three minutes of the fourth quarter ubil Coles was fouled again.
“Once we had the lead, I didn’t want to lose it,” Española coach Richard Martinez said.
The Sundevils earned the top seed in the Class AAAA state tournament and will face Santa Teresa, the 16th seed, Saturday in Española. The Sundevils are seeking to bring back Española’s first state championship.
“It’s fun winning district, but we’ve done that three times,’ senior guard Donovan Maldonado said. “That’s not are main goal.”