ALBUQUERQUE — Escalante High School’s Justin Garcia led The North in scoring with 19 points in the 2018 1A/2A North-South All-Star basketball game, June 9, at Albuquerque High School.
The North dominated the scoreboard for a majority of the game, but the South made a late run in the second half, storming back from 18 points down, to win 88-85.
Garcia, who stood out among the North’s roster, played loose, aggressive and efficiently on the way to his 19-point performance, which included five buckets in the first half.
The only downside to his day was missing three free throws late in the second half that could have helped the North halt the South’s comeback.
He scored a majority of his points making what looked like effortless moves around defenders for easy layups in the paint.
“That’s what I always train to do,” Garcia said. “I always work on my driving, shooting and mid-range game, that’s just how I like to play.”
Garcia was able to mesh with his rival, Xavier Varela, from Mesa Vista High School.
“We have always had that respect for each other,” Varela said about Garcia. “It was fun and interesting to get to play with him.”
Sensing an easy finish to victory, the North defense decreased the level of pressure while the offense shot more contested three-pointers and played more isolation ball.
The South took advantage and got their first lead of the second half with just under four minutes left after a layup from Mesilla Valley’s Hunter Conn, who almost single-handedly brought the South back.
He scored 16 of his game-leading 21 points in the second half, including three three-pointers in the last five minutes. Conn was the lone player to outscore Garcia.
“We played well together and my teammates picked me up,” Garcia said. “We took care of business in the first half, but we just got relaxed later on. It’s OK, because I thought we did really good and worked well together.”
Varela, finished with eight points.
Girls
The 1A/2A girls North team was represented locally by Maryssa Martin from Mesa Vista and Sarah Hurd and Tanisha Torrez from Escalante.
There was nothing any of them could have done differently to hold back the South, who rolled to a 78-44 win behind leading performances from Melrose’s Landry Widner, Elida’s Lacy Ferguson, and Logan’s Kaylee Foote and Mescalero’s Katelyn Yuzos. They led 40-20 at halftime and rolled from that point.
Torrez impressed with her many attacks at the rim, which seemed to happen despite the South’s best efforts to stop her.
She had several crossover and behind the back dribbles that left defenders shook and drew a number of verbal reactions from the crowd.
“I learned a lot of it from my coaches and especially my uncles,” Torrez said about her dribbling abilities. “Basketball is big in my family on both my mom’s and dad’s side. I was fortunate.”
Torrez finished the game with six points (she averaged 13 during the 2017-18 campaign), but was fortunate to be able to lace up her sneakers one more time.
“This was the best thing I could have asked for to end my senior year,” she said. “I just thank God for this opportunity.”
Hurd, who helped lead the 1A/2A North volleyball team to victory on June 7, was held scoreless on the basketball court.
Martin scored seven points in the first half, with her highlight coming on a three-point basket from the left wing while getting fouled and knocked to the ground. She completed the four-point play from the free throw line.