SUN Staff Writer
Tears streamed down the faces of Mesa Vista High School seniors Adrian Coronado, Frankie Giron, Kris Buzzard and Jaime Cruz Jr. as they accompanied coach Tomas Vigil into the media interview room after the Trojans’ 70-61 overtime loss to Santa Rosa March 13 in the semifinals of the Class AA state basketball tournament at the Pit in Albuquerque.
They were silent except for a few soft sobs as Vigil spoke for his team.
“You need to appreciate how much drama there is in a basketball game,” Vigil said. “There’s not another sport like it.”
There had been plenty of drama in Mesa Vista’s loss, as the lead swung back and forth. Santa Rosa led 15-12 after the first quarter. Mesa Vista led 30-25 at halftime. Santa Rosa regained the lead, 44-41, at the end of the third quarter. Mesa Vista’s Frankie Giron tied the game at the end of regulation 56-56 with a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
“It’s a rollercoaster ride of emotions,” Vigil said as he fought back his own tears. “Our shots just didn’t drop and theirs did.”
Giron and Cruz had carried the Trojans throughout the game. In the first quarter, Cruz scored eight of Mesa Vista’s first 10 points as the Trojans took a 10-7 lead. The Fighting Lions roared back by scoring eight unanswered points to take a 15-10 lead before Cruz Jr. hit a basket just before the end of the first quarter.
The Lions were still attacking at the beginning of the second quarter, outscoring Mesa Vista 8-2 to take their biggest lead of the game, 23-14, before Giron and Cruz led a Trojans’ charge that put Mesa Vista back in front.
A three-pointer by Giron put Mesa Vista in front 26-23 with 1:32 left in the first half. Cruz completed the 11-0 run with a basket before Santa Rosa finally scored again. Another basket by Cruz, who scored 15 points in the first half, gave the Trojans a five-point lead to start the second half.
It was the Lions who ran away from the Trojans in the third quarter, scoring nine unanswered points before the Trojans finally scored with 4:25 left in the third quarter. Santa Rosa stayed in front for the rest of the third quarter.
“It’s a game of runs,” Vigil said.
A trio of free throws by Giron tied the game 46-46 with 5:51 left in regulation and a basket by Cruz gave the Trojans a two-point lead.
Some solid free-throw shooting by Ricardo Roybal, who went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe, kept Santa Rosa ahead by three points with 11.8 seconds left.
Giron dribbled around the perimeter and utilizing a screen by Cruz, popped free and fired up a three-pointer from the left side of the arc as time was running out. His shot dropped through the net just before the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
“Coach tells us to shoot with confidence, “ Giron said. “I got open, so I shot.”
His teammates hugged Giron in celebration, but Giron wasn’t the only player who would shoot with confidence in the game.
After Cruz gave the Trojans a 58-56 lead with a pair of free throws to begin the overtime period, Roybal came down and cool as ice launched a long three-pointer that hit nothing but net to give the lead back to the Lions.
“I tell the kids that when they feel good about shooting, shoot the ball,” Santa Rosa coach Frank Ortiz said. “Now, I’d been pretty upset if he had missed.”
Roybal finished the game 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. His only miss came with 36 seconds left and Santa Rosa leading 66-58.
Cruz finally canned a three-pointer for the Trojans, but that would be the Trojans last basket. Santa Rosa advanced with the nine-point victory to face a familiar foe, Texico, in the championship game. Texico and Santa Rosa had finished 1-2 District 5AA during the season.
Texico prevailed 48-46 in the Class AA championship game March 14 in the Pit to win its second consecutive state championship.
Mesa Vista had advanced to the semifinals by defeating Rehoboth 74-68 in the quarterfinals March 11 at the Santa Ana Star Center.
The Trojans were carried by Giron in the first half against the Lynx. He canned four three-pointers and tallied 15 first-half points to keep the Trojans in the game, as the taller Lynx led 38-30 at halftime.
The Lynx led 53-48 heading into the fourth quarter. A big three-pointer by Estevan Trujillo helped to close the gap at the beginning of the fourth quarter and a Cruz free throw tied the score 54-54 with 6:52 left in the game.
The Trojans took a 68-65 lead after a pair of free throws by Cruz with 1:11 left in the game.
Giron sealed the victory when he intercepted a Rehoboth pass and drew an intentional foul. A technical foul was added and Giron, who finished with 30 points, sank 3-of-4 from the line.
Cruz finished with 22 points against Rehoboth and had a game-high 34 against Santa Rosa, but was inconsolable as he hung his head following the loss to the Lions.
“We lost,” he said. “That’s the bottom line.”