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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Pintos Proceed

By Harold Smith
Mountain View Telegraph
    RIO RANCHO— The Moriarty High girls basketball team advanced to the state semifinals.
    Lady Pinto Kristin Valencia grabbed a career-best 22 rebounds and had a game-high 19 points to lead Moriarty to a 63-26 pounding of Piedra Vista in the state Class 4A quarterfinals on Tuesday afternoon.
    Valencia's carom total was just two off the team sum for the losing Panthers.
    "I really like to rebound," said Valencia, a 5-foot-9 junior who dribbles like a point guard, acts like a forward and rebounds like a post. "We were ready to play."
    Valencia and her twin sister, Brandi, were all over the court at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho.
    Brandi contributed 15 points, including the first swished jumper, to set the tone 18 seconds into the game, and she had nine boards as the fourth-seeded Pintos (24-4) took a 15-3 lead in the first quarter and had a commanding 37-16 advantage at the half.
    "I think in the first quarter we had some first-game jitters," Moriarty coach Joe Bailey said. "But we're very happy to get past the quarterfinals, to be able to play again (after falling in the quarters the last two seasons)."
    Not that it was solely the Brandi-Kristen show. Junior Jordan Russell canned three 3-pointers and tallied 12 points. Seniors Jacki Bailey, with a trey of her own, and Hilliary Sheckler, with a traditional 3-point play, chipped in three apiece.
    "I'm glad my shot is back," Russell said. "I'm just happy to be able to shoot again."
    Gaila Brooks and Cheree Charley paced No. 12 Piedra Vista (11-17) with nine points each. The Panthers' campus is in Farmington.
    The Pintos' semifinal opponent will be Kirtland Central (26-3). The top-seeded Broncos beat No. 8 Deming (17-11) 67-44 in a quarterfinals game Tuesday night.
    Piedra Vista fourth-year coach Lee Marett was asked to compare Kirtland and Moriarty. Marett's Panthers are in the same District 1-4A with the Broncos.
    "They (the Kirtland girls) shoot well from the outside," Marett said. "They penetrate well, and they handle the ball well. They're just a well-rounded team.
    "But they're not as big as Moriarty," Marett continued. "I'd say that's the biggest difference. You guys (in Moriarty) have the Valencias, but without them, you'd be hurting."
    The Pintos had a 50-19 lead by the end of the third quarter against Piedra Vista. The Moriarty subs played much of the final period.
    The other Pintos scorers were Desiree Godinez (three), Megan Bond (two), Angel Laue (two), Alex Lehocky (two) and Amy Mondragon (two).
    "I think we're the best defensive team in the state," Joe Bailey said. "We may not be the best team, but we're the best defensive team."
    St. Pius and Roswell High will be matched up in the other semifinal today.
    The championship game will be played Friday at 8 p.m. in the University of New Mexico's Pit.
   
First round
    The Moriarty girls defeated Aztec 56-29 in a state first-round game at John B. Salvo Gym on Friday.
    That night it was Brandi Valencia who led the Pintos. She poured in 23 points, while Kristin had 14.
    "We shot the ball well, and we established the post early, too," Joe Bailey said. "The real reason we won is we practiced against our 'green' team (the Moriarty reserves). We knew Aztec wouldn't play as hard as our 'green' team did."
    It was the final home game for Sheckler and Jacki Bailey.
    "We did what we were supposed to do (versus the Tigers, 13-13)," Bailey said. "But when I came out I realized it was my last home game, and I got sad."
    The Pintos' remaining producers included Russell (13), Lehocky (four) and Mondragon (two).
    "I've enjoyed playing for Moriarty a lot," Sheckler said. "I couldn't have had better teammates. But it's not over. I still want to win. It'd be nice to have two state championships (including the volleyball title). But we've got to take it one game at a time."
   
   
    Pintos
    hoops
    Next Up: Moriarty girls vs. Kirtland Central, state Class 4A semifinals at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho: today, 1:15 p.m.