Rams girls spilt two 1-5A contests

Rams eighth-grader Madi Martinez (21) plays tough defense on a Cougar trying to work her way into the front court. She was even better on offense on Feb. 1, pouring in a girls’ school-record 41 points. (Herron photo)

ALBUQUERQUE – The night belonged to Madi Martinez, but the game belonged to No. 2 Volcano Vista.

In a Feb. 1 showdown for first place in District 1-5A girls’ basketball, the visiting Hawks, with a huge third quarter advantage, earned a 70-60 victory over the 10th-ranked Rams.

Senior forward Taejhuan Hill scored a team-best 22 points and 10 rebounds for Volcano Vista (15-5, 3-0), which outscored visiting Rio Rancho 25-9 in the third quarter.

It was the only quarter in which Martinez, an eighth-grader for Rio Rancho, was quiet.

Martinez had a remarkable evening, pouring in a season-high 41 points, about double her average.

Volcano Vista coach Lisa Villareal’s message at halftime?

“Stop 21,” she said, referring to Martinez’s jersey number.

She scored three in the third quarter, then 14 more in the fourth quarter. Her previous season high in points was 24.

“Stud,” Rams coach Lori Mabrey said. “Madi is an incredible basketball player, and really mature for her grade level. She works on her game all the time, and it shows. More importantly, she just doesn’t fear anybody. She has that moxie to her … and she has her best games in big games.”

Martinez is a piece of what represents a bright future for Rio Rancho (14-7, 2-1), a team that starts just one senior. The Rams’ starting lineup is extremely young, but they’ve shown flashes all season of what they are now and what they could become.

Volcano Vista got a taste of that in the first half, but in a theme that has been oft-repeated during Hawks coach Lisa Villareal’s tenure on the West Side, the third quarter proved pivotal.

“We found a lot of openings, and we had some wide-open shots and the girls came through,” Villareal said.

Ortiz and Duncan canned early 3s to start the second half. The Hawks scored 12 of the first 14 points of the third quarter. Espinoza added a 3; moments later, Ortiz buried another one, this one from really long range, and the lead was 52-36 late in the quarter.

Martinez’s only points of the quarter came at the end, a 24-footer to cut the deficit to 55-39. Hill said Volcano Vista switched up its press defense, which contributed heavily to the Hawks getting out to a big lead.

And much as Martinez tried to get the Rams single handedly back into the game in the fourth quarter — and she achieved this to a degree, with a three-point play and a layup to make it 67-60 with 2:25 remaining — there was too much hill to climb for Rio Rancho.

“She’s really good,” Hill said. “She can shoot the heck out of the rock, and she can get to the basket, too.”

Ultimately, it was Espinoza who supplied the dagger for Volcano Vista, a 3-pointer with 1:44 to go, the game’s final points.

Mabrey lamented the third quarter.

“We have about a three-minute stretch every time with us with the big dogs,” she said. “I don’t know what the answer is for us to fix that.”

Rio Rancho 66, Cibola 14 – You might think a 66-14 drubbing would be a record, but it’s not.

There were quite a few times an RRHS girls’ basketball team has held an opponent to 15 or fewer points. In a game in the 2004-05 season, the Rams whipped West Mesa 66-7.

This time, the Rams allowed only one field goal to visiting Cibola the evening of Jan. 30. The outmanned Cougars, once led by Mabrey, went 13:36 into the lopsided contest before Isabella Mills connected for a 2-pointer.

That made the score 42-8, and that bucket came shortly after a 25-1 run by the Rams, whose defense helped force many of the Cougars’ 29 turnovers.

Cibola is expected to finish last in the five-team district, and the margin of victory would have been much more if Mabrey hadn’t emptied her bench every quarter.

“Everybody works hard in practice, and everybody deserves to play,” Mabrey said, “and this was a game that we could afford to get everybody in. … It’s a chance and opportunity for somebody else to step up, for sure.”

The No. 10 Rams led 17-5 after the first period, and 49-11 at halftime. In light of the 35-point mercy rule, the second half didn’t last long. Rio Rancho led 58-12 heading into the fourth quarter, after Cibola had managed one point in the third period and went on to double that in the fourth.

Madi Martinez and Jemma Estrada shared scoring honors with 13 apiece, and Kaci McHugh came off the bench to add 10, which included a 4 for 4 outing at the foul line.

There was one loss for the Rams: Sophomore guard Daysia Jack got hurt on her way to a layup in the third period and had to be helped off the floor; after the game, her left knee was covered.

“I’m hoping it’s not her knee,” Mabrey said, expecting to know more later.

The Rams’ only game this week is Wednesday, Feb. 7, at Cleveland. Next week, RRHS is home to face Atrisco Heritage Academy Wednesday and then at Cibola on Friday. Those games tip off at 7 p.m.

(The Volcano Vista report is from James Yodice of the Albuquerque Journal.)