Mesa Vista’s Jaime Cruz scored 25 points to lead the Trojans to a 74-57 win over his former team, Coronado, Jan. 3 in Gallina.
Cruz, a high-scoring senior who transferred from Coronado after his sophomore year, set the pace of the game by scoring nine points in the first quarter. Teammate Kristopher Buzzard had six points of his own in the first quarter, but because of four fouls was limited offensively thereafter.
Coronado’s Pedro Valdez had seven points in the first quarter but it wasn’t enough to keep the game close. Mesa Vista was up 19-10 in the first quarter and kept the lead throughout the game.
The Trojans minimized the Leopards’ fastbreak opportunities by maintaining a full-court press for the entire game. Cruz put in six points underneath and around the bucket area in the second quarter, while Frankie Giron put up five points to give the Trojans a 33-22 lead at halftime.
“It was a tough game; very close,” Mesa Vista Coach Thomas Vigil said. “We might see these guys again at the NRG (Northern Rio Grande) tournament, so we will make adjustments.”
Coronado cut Mesa Vista’s lead to three points at one point in the third quarter. Coronado’s Johnny Sanchez put in six points, while Valdez contributed seven points in the third quarter to narrow the score to 45-42 with 1:37 left in the quarter.
However, the defensive pressure of the Trojans caused the Leopards to turn over the ball nine times in the same quarter. Trojan’s Adrian Coronado put in two quick baskets and Giron drove in for two points to expand the lead at the end of the third quarter to nine points.
“Things weren’t necessarily going our way the first three quarters, but we persevered the fourth quarter and were able to pull out the win,” said coach Vigil.
The Trojans started the fourth quarter by scoring four quick points, but the Leopards answered with a rally of their own and cut the lead to 57-50.
But that is when the Trojans took it off cruise control and went into overdrive by scoring 21 points to the Leopards’ seven points to end the game and escape with the victory.
Giron ended the game with 17 points. Valdez led the Leopards with 18 points.
Both teams will next play in the Northern Rio Grande Tournament which begins Wednesday (1/7) in Pojoaque.
“We are right where we need to be,” Vigil said. “It hurts to have those three losses, but they were quality teams.”