It was something that the powerful Pojoaque Elkettes hadn’t faced so far this season — an opponent who matched them step-for-step and then refused to fold once the Elkettes made one of their patented runs.
Pojoaque had reeled off 13 consecutive wins and had beaten its opponents by at least 13 points before hosting the Española Valley Lady Sundevils Jan. 13. However, Española was not intimidated and led 17-13 after the first quarter and trailed by just two points at halftime.
A disastrous third quarter doomed the Sundevils’ shot at an upset. Española managed to put up just one point while the Elkettes scored 14 to take a 44-29 lead into the fourth quarter. Española rallied in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to five points, but Pojoaque scored the final six points of the game. Dionna Montoya’s putback at the final buzzer — her only basket of the game — gave the Elkettes a 54-43 victory.
“We needed this tonight, and we need more of these games,” Pojoaque coach Lanse Carter said.
The Sundevils scored the game’s first two points on a short jumper by Nisa Duran and led 8-6, but a basket by Janelle Roybal and another by Jackie Bartleson gave the Elkettes a 10-8 lead.
Bartleson and Roybal would prove to be the difference in the game, combining to score 43 of Pojoaque’s 54 points. Bartleson led all scorers with 24 points.
The Sundevils took over the lead after a pair of baskets by Janelle Martinez. Duran came up with a steal, a layup and finished the first quarter by draining a three-pointer that gave the Sundevils a 17-13 lead.
The Sundevils took their biggest lead of the game 24-18 after a three-pointer by Megan Martinez, but Martinez picked up her third foul trying to guard the taller Bartleson and went to the bench. With Martinez on the bench, Pojoaque put together a 10-0 run that started with a three-point play by Bartleson, who finished the spurt with a basket inside.
“We never executed our game plan on Jackie the whole game,” Española coach Ron Drake said. “We were supposed to double down on her and deny her the ball, but nobody doubled down.”
Española’s Justine Vigil sank a pair of free throws to make the score 30-28 in favor of the Elkettes at halftime.
In the third quarter, it was the Bartleson and Roybal show for Pojoaque, with Roybal playing the leading role. Pojoaque point guard Ellen Cruz continually looked for the senior forward and found her time and again. Whether it was a length-of-the-floor heave or a pinpoint pass from the top of the key, Cruz connected with Roybal continually for layups.
“We know each other really well,” Roybal said.
Roybal scored 10 third-quarter points and Bartleson added the other four points for Pojoaque while the Sundevils shot the ball everywhere except in the basket.
“I like how we came out and executed in the third quarter,” Carter said. “It wasn’t anything I particularly did, they just knew they were a better team than they had been doing.”
The Sundevils’ only score of the third quarter came on a free throw by Desiree Howie with 2:45 left in the third quarter.
“Shot selection was poor and we were shooting nervous,” Drake said. “We couldn’t score and because of that we couldn’t press.”
The Sundevils did press in the fourth quarter, and they pulled themselves back into the game. The Elkettes had 24 turnovers during the game to just 15 for the Sundevils, and Española took advantage of the miscues to outscore the Elkettes 14-4 and get to within five points with two minutes left in the game.
The Elkettes pulled together, took better care of the ball and held off the Sundevils down the stretch. Duran led Española with 15 points, the only Sundevil to score in double figures.
“I wish we would shut the door better and we will in time,” Carter said. “We need to be challenged in order to reach our goals.”
The challenge that Carter had hoped for never happened in Pojoaque’s next two games. The Elkettes overwhelmed Taos 65-19 Jan. 16 and blasted Sandia Prep 66-12 to run their record to 15-0 heading into District 2AAA competition.
Pojoaque, ranked first in the New Mexico High School Coaches Association poll in Class AAA, opens its District 2AAA play Thursday (1/22) on the road at Robertson.