The Mesa Vista Trojans started the championship game of the Northern Rio Grande boys basketball tournament Jan. 10 in Pojoaque with their typical bang, racing out to a 17-0 lead against the Peñasco Panthers in the first quarter.
The Trojans held on for a 66-55 victory to win their second consecutive Northern Rio Grande championship.
The Trojans had similar starts in their previous two victories at the tournament. Mesa Vista had dominated Dulce in the opening round of the tournament, outscoring the Hawks 20-7 in the open moments on its way to a 69-57 victory. In their 76-41 win over Escalante Jan. 9 in the semifinals, the Trojans led 18-0 after the first quarter.
Peñasco would prove to be a tenacious opponent and the Panthers came back to narrow the Trojans lead to two points early in the third quarter.
“We knew Peñasco wasn’t going to lay down and let us kick them around in front of 4,000 people at the NRG,” Mesa Vista coach Thomas Vigil said.
With the Panthers clawing at their backs, the Trojans rallied behind seniors Jaime Cruz and Frankie Giron. Cruz had eight points and Giron added six during a 15-4 Trojans’ run that put Mesa Vista back in control.
“We’re seniors,” Giron said. “That’s what we’re supposed to do.”
Cruz finished the game with 27 points to lead all scorers. He and Giron and junior teammate Estevan Trujillo were named to the all-tournament team.
“This is the last time we’ll play in this gym and we wanted to go out with a bang,” Cruz said. “We did.”
Trujillo got the Trojans started in the first quarter, sinking a layup off an assist from Cruz and then knocking down a three-pointer to give the Trojans a 5-0 lead. Peñasco struggled to bring the ball down the court against the Trojans’ swarming full-court press.
Cruz sank three free throws after being fouled behind the arc, Trujillo added another basket and Cruz finished off a 17-0 Trojans’ run with a three-pointer before Peñasco finally scored its first basket of the game with 2:36 left in the first quarter. The Trojans led 23-10 heading into the second quarter.
Things were not looking good for the Panthers when star Joseph Gurulé picked up his third foul with just a minute gone in the second quarter. Gurulé had poured in 31 points against Coronado in the Panthers’ 69-66 opening round victory and had added 19 points against Mora in Peñasco’s 78-63 win in the semifinals. He went to the bench for the remainder of the second quarter.
With Gurulé on the bench, Peñasco rallied behind senior post Brandon Gurulé and cut into the Trojans lead. He sank four free throws and added a pair of baskets during a 12-3 run by the Panthers that made the score 26-22 in the second quarter.
“I have confidence in every one of my kids off the bench,” Peñasco coach Joe Gurulé said. “They don’t give up.”
The Trojans scored the final four points of the first half and led 30-22 at halftime.
The Panthers kept their momentum going in the second half. A pair of baskets by Albert Roybal and another by Ernest Vasquez had the Panthers within two points of the Trojans in the third quarter. That’s when Cruz and Giron stepped up.
“Frankie and Jaime are our scorers and they know they need to score,” Vigil said. “They did a great job of doing that.”
Peñasco made one last run at the Trojans in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to eight points after baskets by Joseph Gurule’ and Brandon Gurulé, but the Trojans answered with three points by Trujillo and held off the Panthers.
It was the third consecutive loss in the Northern Rio Grande championship game for the Panthers. Brandon Gurulé led Peñasco with 23 points, while Roybal added 15.
The Panthers and the Trojans will meet each other at least two more times during the District 3AA season. A third meeting in the District 3AA championship game is likely, as the last four District 3AA championship games beginning have been between the Trojans and the Panthers. Questa will also contend for the District title.
“It’s going to be the same old song and dance,” Vigil said. “We’ll be in some dogfights.”