Team captain Abby Martinez leads the Toppers onto the court Saturday evening in Griffith Gymnasium to play the Aztec Tigers. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Tara McDonald takes control of the ball in the tipoff and the Toppers never gave up control winning a big 49-9. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com
By Mike Cote
Sports
Los Alamos Daily Post
For three of the four quarters Saturday night, the Los Alamos Hilltopper girls’ basketball team allowed a combined one point.
Los Alamos blew out the visiting Aztec Tigers, holding the Tigers scoreless in the second half and giving up a lone point in the first quarter. Los Alamos cruised to a 49-9 victory at Griffith Gymnasium.
That game was broadcast on the Los Alamos Daily Post’s YouTube channel.
The Hilltoppers, who have won 7 of their last 8 contests after a very slow start to the season, came out very aggressive on the defensive end and the Tigers simply had no answer for it. The Hilltoppers, using full-court pressure, forced 7 turnovers in the opening quarter, and most of those turned into points on the other end.
The Hilltoppers played Saturday’s game with a very short bench – only 7 players dressed for the contest, while two key starters, GG Romero and Carley Holland, were both in street clothes. The only two bench players Saturday, Catheryne Trujillo and Olivia Martinez, both chipped in quality minutes.
With Romero, the team’s leading scorer, out Saturday, Abby Martinez took the reins of the offense. Martinez hit a couple of big jumpers in the first half to get things rolling and finished with a game-high 12 points.
All 7 players on the roster for Los Alamos Saturday scored. Sofia Trujillo, who had two steals that she converted into points on the other end, had 8, as did Michelle Macias.
The biggest bright spot for Los Alamos (7-5), however, was Tara McDonald, who might have had her best game of the season. McDonald put in 11 points, 7 of those in the second half, mostly from the low post.
McDonald and the rest of the Hilltoppers moved very well against the taller Tigers (5-10) in the post, particularly without the ball, something that had been lacking for most of the early part of the season.
For Aztec, the only quarter it was able to get anything going on the offensive end was the second and, not coincidentally, that was the only quarter where it was able to limit its turnovers.
Jazzlyn Gomez had 4 points to lead Aztec. None of the Tigers finished with more than one field goal in the game.
Los Alamos forced a combined 16 turnovers in the first and third quarters. Aztec cleared its bench with about 2:30 left in the contest and the bench players had no more success running the offense than the starters did.
Coming up this week, the Hilltoppers have three straight on the road – at Robertson, at Penasco and at Bosque School, before returning home for a tough game Jan. 17 vs. Rio Rancho.
Michelle Macias tries to get a shot off but Nika Mckenze reaches in to block the attempt. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Abby Martinez takes a jump shot; she was the high point scorer for the game with 12 points. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com
The Topper Cheer Team was on hand to lead the fans. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Sofia Trujillo slips under the guard of Brook Calvert to make a shot in the first quarter. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
