Martinez, Rams fend off raucous Thunderdome for rivalry victory

RIO RANCHO — In rivalry games, you can throw the record books, stat sheets and, more often than not, the game plan out the window.

One thing you can’t shake? The prowess of Rams’ guard Madi Martinez.

Behind a 31-point night from the sophomore, Rio Rancho (19-2) was able to overcome a raucous Thunderdome crowd and take a 49-43 victory back to Loma Colorado Boulevard.

“The energy was great, and the atmosphere was really fun,” Martinez said. “I think that helped motivate us until the end and push us to really get the victory over them.”

Tuesday night had all the makings of a potential trap game for the Rams: A rivalry matchup on the road against a Storm team hungry for a signature victory.

That scenario was present in the first half as well, in what was a slugfest early on. Rio held the lead, but a big-time 3 from Cleveland’s Erin Winters gave the Storm momentum and cut the halftime deficit to five. 

But while the door to victory appeared to be cracked for the Storm heading into the third quarter, Martinez bolted the hinges with a 21-point second half.

“(It was all about) our effort,” Martinez said. “How we never gave up, even when put in difficult situations.”

One of those difficult situations was Cleveland’s gameplan for the Rams, aiming to shut down the beyond-the-arc barrage fans are used to seeing from the navy and green.

“Defensively, we've been working really hard on intense pressure, man-to-man defense, and finding shooters as soon as we get across half-court,” Cleveland head coach Stacy Pokorski said before the game. “I know the twins (Madi and Larissa Martinez) can really light it up, so we've been working this week on finding our man early and picking up right at full court or at half court, so that they can't catch deep and get hot early.”

Pokorski also mentioned taking advantage of their inside game with Storm center Jaslene Big Crow, but in reality, the two squads switched play styles like it was a scene out of “Freaky Friday.”

Martinez, known as a shooter, hit no 3s on the night in her 31-point showcase. Instead, she was active at the rim and effective at driving in the paint. The only 3-point plays she saw were an and-one layup in the third quarter.

“Honestly, we were just taking what the defense gave us,” Martinez said. “We know our capabilities and trust in one another to make a play in any given situation.”

For Cleveland, their success would be from the perimeter. Senior guard Danae Elzy poured in a trio of 3s in her 15-point night, while Chanelle Ellis and Winters would add triples themselves as well. This not only helped the Storm on the scoreboard but also often reignited the home crowd.

Cleveland was looking to stage a late fourth-quarter comeback, but foul trouble and turnovers throughout the game would halt the upset attempt. The Storm now sit at 10-11 and 2-3 in district, while the Rams remain a perfect 5-0 in 1-5A.

Rio Rancho and Cleveland will meet again on Feb. 20 at Rio Rancho High School.