RIO RANCHO – There were no tears from the Mesa Vista High School players Wednesday night. No histrionics or doom or gloom postgame.
Just some stunned players and coaches.
This was supposed to be the year that a talented, veteran, hardened group would put an end to Mesa Vista’s long boys’ basketball championship drought that stretches back to 1997.
And for a shade more than 16 minutes in the quarterfinal game with No. 6 Reheboth Christian, there was no hint that was going to change at the Rio Rancho Events Center.
Leading 41-19, 30 seconds into the third quarter, the No. 3 Trojans were well on their way, until Trajen West happened.
The Lynx point guard spurred a comeback for the ages that dumped No. 3 Mesa Vista into a 67-61 overtime defeat.
Even a fairly miraculous, buzzer-beating, game-tying 3-pointer from Jordan Gallegos that forced overtime was not enough to save the Trojans (24-5).
“We played a really good first half and they played a really good second half,” Mesa Vista coach Thomas Vigil said.
That was certainly the case as the Trojans could do little wrong in the first half, using an 11-3 first quarter run to go up 19-9, then doubling the lead in the second quarter.
When Santiago Martinez, who had 11 points, jogged straight off the court to the locker room after his 3-pointer fell with one second left in the second quarter, Mesa Vista held a 39-19 lead.
Then West, who had four points at the half, scored 16 points in the third quarter.
“It happens, someone catches fire. They catch fire,” Trojans guard Andres Valdez, who finished with 16 points, said. “It’s part of the game. Basketball has its ups and downs. It’s a game of runs.”
And by the time that third quarter ended, Mesa Vista’s huge lead was now down to 45-40.
Trojans shots that had fallen in the first half were now catching just a bit of iron and glancing away. Layups that usually fell through the twine instead rolled just off the rim. Rebounds that had landed in their hands now bounced other ways.
When Thijs Meester hit his only 3-pointer of the game with 3:30 left, it put the Lynx (23-6) up 48-46. The Trojans would never lead again.
“Their point guard hit some big threes, and their other guards hit some jump shots, and that’s how they came back into the game,” Trojans point guard Santiago Martinez said.
Once the ball started rolling in the other direction, it was hard to curtail, Vigil said.
“Momentum. It’s a crazy force, right?” he said. “And we had the momentum in the first half. They had it in the second half. And some things just didn’t go our way, and, in the end, they made plays. I mean, the thing about once you get to Albuquerque is every single team here can win it all. I mean, that’s a really good team, and they’re really well coached.”
Mesa Vista fell behind 52-48 with 55 seconds left and Valdez then hit a 3-pointer to bring the Trojans within a point.
After West hit two foul shots with 28 seconds left, the final sequence was a blur as Mesa Vista had three 3-point attempts that would not fall before Gallegos, who finished with 26 points, grabbed a rebound, muscled his way back outside and launched a shot from the corner that dropped as the buzzer blared to send it to overtime tied at 54-all.
By Glen Rosales
Special to the SUN
RIO RANCHO – There were no tears from the Mesa Vista High School players Wednesday night. No histrionics or doom or gloom postgame.
Just some stunned players and coaches.
This was supposed to be the year that a talented, veteran, hardened group would put an end to Mesa Vista’s long boys’ basketball championship drought that stretches back to 1997.
And for a shade more than 16 minutes in the quarterfinal game with No. 6 Reheboth Christian, there was no hint that was going to change at the Rio Rancho Events Center.
Leading 41-19, 30 seconds into the third quarter, the No. 3 Trojans were well on their way, until Trajen West happened.
The Lynx point guard spurred a comeback for the ages that dumped No. 3 Mesa Vista into a 67-61 overtime defeat.
Even a fairly miraculous, buzzer-beating, game-tying 3-pointer from Jordan Gallegos that forced overtime was not enough to save the Trojans (24-5).
“We played a really good first half and they played a really good second half,” Mesa Vista coach Thomas Vigil said.
That was certainly the case as the Trojans could do little wrong in the first half, using an 11-3 first quarter run to go up 19-9, then doubling the lead in the second quarter.
When Santiago Martinez, who had 11 points, jogged straight off the court to the locker room after his 3-pointer fell with one second left in the second quarter, Mesa Vista held a 39-19 lead.
Then West, who had four points at the half, scored 16 points in the third quarter.
“It happens, someone catches fire. They catch fire,” Trojans guard Andres Valdez, who finished with 16 points, said. “It’s part of the game. Basketball has its ups and downs. It’s a game of runs.”
And by the time that third quarter ended, Mesa Vista’s huge lead was now down to 45-40.
Trojans shots that had fallen in the first half were now catching just a bit of iron and glancing away. Layups that usually fell through the twine instead rolled just off the rim. Rebounds that had landed in their hands now bounced other ways.
When Thijs Meester hit his only 3-pointer of the game with 3:30 left, it put the Lynx (23-6) up 48-46. The Trojans would never lead again.
“Their point guard hit some big threes, and their other guards hit some jump shots, and that’s how they came back into the game,” Trojans point guard Santiago Martinez said.
Once the ball started rolling in the other direction, it was hard to curtail, Vigil said.
“Momentum. It’s a crazy force, right?” he said. “And we had the momentum in the first half. They had it in the second half. And some things just didn’t go our way, and, in the end, they made plays. I mean, the thing about once you get to Albuquerque is every single team here can win it all. I mean, that’s a really good team, and they’re really well coached.”
Mesa Vista fell behind 52-48 with 55 seconds left and Valdez then hit a 3-pointer to bring the Trojans within a point.
After West hit two foul shots with 28 seconds left, the final sequence was a blur as Mesa Vista had three 3-point attempts that would not fall before Gallegos, who finished with 26 points, grabbed a rebound, muscled his way back outside and launched a shot from the corner that dropped as the buzzer blared to send it to overtime tied at 54-all.
The teams traded points to start the extra session, but then Rehoboth put together a 7-2 run that put the game too far out of reach for the Trojans to catch back up.
“We were able to impose our will the first half and we didn’t the second half,” Vigil said. “I mean, there’s a lesson in here somewhere. I’m struggling to find it right now because I’m heartbroken for my kids.”
The teams traded points to start the extra session, but then Rehoboth put together a 7-2 run that put the game too far out of reach for the Trojans to catch back up.
“We were able to impose our will the first half and we didn’t the second half,” Vigil said. “I mean, there’s a lesson in here somewhere. I’m struggling to find it right now because I’m heartbroken for my kids.”