After flying high against Academy for Technology and The Classics on Saturday, the Santa Fe Indian Braves came back down to earth. Santa Fe Indian was just a bucket shy of victory on Tuesday and fell 44-43 to Bernalillo. Santa Fe Indian was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Bernalillo apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in February of 2018.
When it comes to explaining why Santa Fe Indian lost, one person who can't be blamed is Emma Lewis. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 23 points and 11 rebounds. The contest was Lewis' fourth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Danielle Smith, who scored seven points along with seven rebounds and six steals.
Even though they lost, Santa Fe Indian were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Bernalillo can attribute much of their success to Leah Valdez, who scored 21 points along with seven steals. Trinity Calabaza was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with 13 rebounds and four blocks.
Santa Fe Indian's defeat dropped their record down to 2-2. As for Bernalillo, their victory bumped their record up to 1-2.
Santa Fe Indian's road trip will continue as they head out to face Pecos at 11:00 a.m. on December 7th. As for Bernalillo, they have the luxury of staying home another game and will welcome St. Pius X at 7:00 p.m. on December 7th. St. Pius X presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Bernalillo in New Mexico (St. Pius X is ranked 14th, while Bernalillo is ranked 110th).
