A sad look spread over the face of Española Valley senior Nisa Duran as she walked toward her bench for the final time of her high school career.
Duran had just fouled out with a little over a minute remaining in the Sundevils’ Class AAAA state semifinal loss to the Kirtland Central Lady Broncos March 11 at the University of New Mexico Pit in Albuquerque.
“I was trying to play defense,” Duran said. “I slipped and fouled her. It hit me and I broke out in tears.”
The fourth-seeded Sundevils fell to the top-seeded Broncos 52-47, ending the team’s most successful season in nine years. It was just the second trip to the semifinals for the girls team in school history. The last being in 2001, when the Sundevils also lost to Kirtland Central in the semifinals
“I didn’t want to go home,” Duran said.
Duran had been the catalyst as the Sundevils battled back after falling behind 33-15 in the second quarter. The Broncos had blitzed Española with fast break layups and timely three-pointers to grab a 17-12 first-quarter lead and extend it with a 16-3 run in the second quarter.
A pair of three-pointers by Duran, the second coming from near half court just before the halftime buzzer, sliced the Broncos lead to 12 points and set the stage for a stronger second half by the Sundevils.
“I shoot when I can,” she said. “I try to be a leader for my team and make things happen.”
What happened next was a 7-0 run by the Sundevils finished off by a Justine Vigil three-pointer that put Española within five points of the Broncos. After a pair of scores by Kirtland, Duran’s three-point play brought the Sundevils within four points of the Broncos.
“We played a pretty good game and outscored them in the second half,” Española coach Ron Drake said. “Our defense got better and our offense got better.”
Kirtland led 42-35 in the fourth quarter when a three-pointer by Melanie Vigil put Española back to within four points. That’s where the lead stayed through three possessions as the teams traded baskets. The Broncos started parading to the free-throw line where they made five of eight attempts. A three-pointer by Justine Vigil made the score 51-46 with under two minutes left to play, but Duran fouled out moments later. After Melanie Vigil sank a free throw to make the score 51-47, she also fouled out as well, and Kirtland hung on for the victory on their way to the state title.
Despite the loss, the Sundevils couldn’t be unhappy with their season.
Drake had taken the team from a 0-27 season in 2007 to two District 2AAAA championships and a trip to the Pit this season where the Española girls won for the first time with a 51-41 victory over Los Alamos March 9 in the quarterfinals. He would not have the team feel sorry for itself.
“I told them, ‘Don’t cry, this was a special season,’” he said. “To win 26 games, back-to-back district championships and get to the Final Four, I can’t say enough about them.”
Española will lose four key players to graduation — starters Duran, Melanie Vigil and Marisol Peña and reserve Monica Naranjo. Starters Justine Vigil and Desiree Howie will return along with freshmen Quintana and Amanda Maestas, who both saw considerable varsity playing time this past season. Drake would not say whether he would be back for a fourth season.
Duran, whose soft voice contrasts with her intensity on the court, would have liked to have played at least one more game for her coach.
“He loves the game and he believed in us,” she said. “He loves us and we love him. I’m really going to miss him.”