In a foul-filled game that featured 82 free throws, the Mesa Vista Lady Trojans beat Escalante 58-44 Nov. 21 in Ojo Caliente to improve to 3-0 on the season.
“Looks like we had a bad night shooting free throws,” Mesa Vista coach Richard Montoya said. “We’re fouling too much.”
The Trojans made 22 of their 40 free throw attempts, while the Lady Lobos canned 24 of their 42 attempts. The Trojans were in foul trouble throughout the game.
“I used everybody up,” Montoya said. “At the end of the game everybody on the floor had four fouls.”
The Trojans took a 12-7 lead after the first quarter, but junior post Carmelita Gallegos was on the bench for most of the second quarter after scoring seven points in the first quarter.
The score was 17-12 in favor of Mesa Vista when the Trojans went on a 7-0 run fueled by a pair of baskets by Muriah Dean to take a 12-point lead. The Lobos cut the lead to 10 points at halftime after a basket by Serenity Samora.
The Trojans broke the game open with a 12-0 run in the third quarter. Mesa Vista used a swarming full-court press to create several turnovers that led to layups.
A three-pointer and a free throw by Larissa Peña gave the Trojans a 38-18 lead.
“We seem to press pretty good,” Montoya said. “We’re coming along okay.”
A basket by Peña gave the Trojans their biggest lead of the game, 45-23, early in the fourth quarter, and the Trojans held on for the 14-point victory.
It was Escalante’s opening game of the season and coach Tara Terrazas felt that was a factor in the game.
“We had first game jitters,” Escalante coach Tara Terrazas said. “Mesa Vista got their jitters out two games ago.”
The Trojans started the season Nov. 14 by defeating Dulce 72-34 and manhandling Monte del Sol 69-16 Nov. 19 in Ojo Caliente. In both games senior Crystal Martinez was the leading scorer, tallying 26 points against Dulce and 21 against the Lady Dragons. She cooled off against Escalante, scoring just seven points.
Gallegos led the Trojans with 15 points but was just 7-of-16 from the free throw line.
Samora and Arneshia Avalos each scored 10 points to lead the Lobos. Avalos scored all her points in the second half, including two three-pointers in the fourth quarter.
“I told her after she made the first to shoot another,” Terrazas said. “I’m trying to keep the attitude as positive as I can.”
Terrazas is returning to Escalante after leading the Lobos into the opening round of the state tournament in 2008 with a 13-10 record. The Lobos were just 7-18 last season.
“I’m not going to let them get away with carelessness,” Terrazas said. “I’m hard on them and they know that.”