The Mesa Vista Lady Trojans hit a bump Feb. 13 on the road back to respectability.
After winning only 13 games over the previous three seasons, the Trojans were 16-4 overall and 2-1 going into their home game against the McCurdy Lady Bobcats. A victory over McCurdy would move the Trojans into a tie with the Bobcats for first place in District 3AA.
However, Mesa Vista still can’t beat the Bobcats. The Trojans lost for the third time this season to McCurdy 39-35. Both losses in district play have come to McCurdy, who also beat the Trojans Dec. 12 at the Northern Rio Grande Tournament. The Bobcats are 4-0 in District 3AA and 17-7 overall.
For awhile, it looked like the Lady Trojans might get the proverbial monkey off their backs. Behind eight points by post Carmelita Trujillo, Mesa Vista took a 10-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.
McCurdy led 11-10 after a three-pointer by Kim Baros in the second quarter, but the Trojans answered with a 7-0 run. Point guard Stephanie Gallegos nailed a pair of free throws, Julia Martinez came up with a steal and layup and Gallegos finished the run with a three-pointer.
McCurdy answered with a pair of three-pointers by Alex Martinez, but the Trojans led 19-17 at the end of the first half after a basket by Julia Martinez.
The score was tied at 23-23 in the third quarter when McCurdy made its move. Kim Trujillo nailed a three-pointer from the corner. Alex Martinez sank a driving layup from the lane and added a free throw. Trujillo finished the 8-0 McCurdy run with a basket inside to give McCurdy a 31-23 lead at the end of the third quarter.
“McCurdy’s defense was very tough,” Mesa Vista coach Richard Montoya said. “They weren’t giving us easy looks.”
The Trojans eventually sliced the Bobcats’ lead to five points. Carmelita Trujillo, who hadn’t scored since the first quarter and seldom saw the ball inside in the second half, sank a three-pointer to make the score 33-28 in favor of McCurdy.
The Trojans hurt themselves by missing three straight free throws and baskets by Bobcat Brenda Avila followed by a pair of free throws by Kaitlin Vigil gave the Bobcats a 38-30 lead with 36 seconds left in the game. Gallegos sank a three-pointer and Trujillo canned two free throws to make it 38-35, but that was as close as Mesa Vista would get.
The Bobcats have not won a district title since 2001, but this year they have already defeated all their district opponents at least once.
“It’s a new feeling for them,” McCurdy coach Johnny Abeyta said. “We don’t fear going to play anybody.”