Javaya Davison goes up for a shot in the first period over defender Ellie Musiolf in the Hilltopper girls basketball season-opening against the St. Michael’s Horsemen Tuesday in Sullivan Gymnasium. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Aaliyah Chavez closely guards Mariella Ruiz under the Horseman’s basket in the second quarter. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
By MIKE COTE
Sports Writer
Los Alamos Daily Post
Sparked by a pair of sophomores, the Los Alamos Hilltopper girls basketball team came back from an 8-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter to earn a season-opening overtime victory Tuesday in Sullivan Gymnasium.
Los Alamos trailed 41-33 with just about 4 minutes left in regulation against the St. Michael’s Horsemen, but big late game performances by Aaliyah Chavez and Javaya Davison put their team over the top as the Hilltoppers prevailed 51-45 over the Horsemen.
Davison had 18 points to lead all Hilltopper scorers Tuesday night against St. Mike’s including 6 points in the fourth quarter to keep the team in the game, while Chavez hit a clutch 3-pointer and sank two free throws with under a minute remaining in the game to cement the opening night win.
The Hilltoppers (1-0) and Horsemen (0-1) are regular early-season opponents.
Early in Tuesday’s game, the Horsemen looked very strong on both ends of the court. The Hilltoppers, meanwhile, struggled to hang onto the ball, turning it over 6 times in the first quarter.
Davison, who was Los Alamos’ first substitution going into the game, kept Los Alamos within striking distance, connecting from the low post and grabbing some key rebounds on both ends of the floor after St. Mike’s controlled the boards early.
Davison had 10 points for Los Alamos in the first half, with no other Hilltopper scoring more than 2.
The Horsemen, a veteran team with 8 seniors on its opening-night roster, got a big first half from two of those seniors, Mariella Ruiz and Gianna Sanchez.
Despite the strong early start, Los Alamos erased an early 7-point lead and took a couple of brief leads in the second quarter and trailed by just 1 at the break.
St. Mike’s threatened to put Los Alamos away late in the third quarter and into the fourth, however, hitting on back-to-back second-chance buckets, as well as a 3-point play coming from Nadia Cedillo.
But the tide started to turn with Maribel Ramos-Chacon hitting 4 straight from the foul line in the fourth – prior to Ramos-Chacon’s foul shots, Los Alamos struggled from the stripe.
Her free throws with 2:36 remaining tied the game at 41, and would be the final points for either team in regulation. She would finish the game with 11 points.
Chavez had 9 points, 6 of those in overtime. Her 3-pointer with 36.0 remaining gave Los Alamos the lead it would never relinquish.
Camden Shunk, playing alongside Davison near the basket, had two big offensive rebounds in the overtime period, including one that led to a Davison bucket with 2:00 left.
Ruiz finished with 16 points for the Horsemen, tying her for the high-point performance of the game with Davison, while Cedillo had 9 before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
Los Alamos is hoping to improve on a rough 2024-2025 season in which it won just 4 games. Los Alamos will have a tough road test Monday when it travels to meet St. Pius X.
Kohynn Young charges past Larissa Rodriguez under the Topper basket in the second quarter. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Ava Lyon and Larissa Rodriguez battle for control of the ball at midcourt in the 3rd quarter. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
The Los Alamos Hilltopper Cheer Team cheers the Toppers on to victory. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com