Even though the Bernalillo Spartans have not done well against the Santa Fe Indian Braves recently (they were 0-6 in their previous six matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Bernalillo pulled ahead with a 44-43 photo finish over Santa Fe Indian. For Bernalillo, this counts as revenge for the 80-34 loss Santa Fe Indian walked away with the last time they faced one another back in February of 2018.
Leah Valdez was the offensive standout of the contest as she scored 21 points along with seven steals. Another player making a difference was Trinity Calabaza, who scored nine points along with 13 rebounds and four blocks.
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. Lewis scored a full 53.5% of Santa Fe Indian's points, the fourth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of 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's win bumped their record up to 1-2. As for Santa Fe Indian, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-2.
Bernalillo will be playing in front of their home fans against St. Pius X at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. 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). Santa Fe Indian will be staying on the road on Thursday to face off against Pecos at 11:00 a.m. on December 7th.
