By Eric Butler
MaxPreps.com
For the record, it's pronounced PO-VEE-WA.
Since it was likely the last time that Marcelita Povijua of Santa Fe Indian would have to endure her name being misread over a gym loudspeaker, the diminutive guard told reporters afterward that it happened all the time in her high school career – and it was a little bit annoying.
But, overall, Povijua couldn't have been happier. She scored 30 points in her farewell as the former Lady Braves' standout led the North to an 89-72 victory over the South.
It was the opening game of an All-Star basketball doubleheader Friday night (July 18) in Las Vegas (N.M.). In the nightcap, the resilient South got a measure of redemption by outlasting the North in the boys game and finally winning 91-83.
Povijua was named the MVP of the victorious North in the girls contest as her quickness, three-point shooting and efficiency from the free throw line helped her team break away from a deadlocked 42-42 game at halftime.
"In high school, I think my highest was 25. But I was confident throughout the whole game," Povijua said. "The South was giving us dirty looks and I was like, 'No, I'm not going to worry about that.' We had to put on our best game and we did."
A three-pointer by Dexter's Krystal Banda, her team's MVP, actually gave the South a 42-39 advantage with 41 seconds left in the first half before the North came back to tie before the halftime break.
To start the second half, the North registered an 11-2 run. The 5-foot, 2-inch Povijua banked in a trey, got a regular two-point field goal and sank a pair of free throws in the stretch. For the game, Povijua hit 14 of her 16 attempts from the charity stripe.
St. Michael's Marissa Peterson scored 20 points for the North while teammates Roxie Boone of Zuni and Andrea Cruz of Pojoaque scored nine apiece.
For the South, Banda was the only scorer in double figures. Anna Roane of Sandia Prep (8 points), Laguna-Acoma's Amanda Pino (7) and Cobre's Sabrina Duran (7) also were contributors.
At the 2008 season-ending state tournament, North teams from District 2-3A were dominant. Pojoaque beat district rivals St. Michael's and West Las Vegas in championship games to respectively win the girls and boys crowns.
In the boys North/South game Friday night, it looked as if the North would extend its dominance just a little bit further. After reeling off 21 straight points midway through the first half, the North opened a 30-21 lead and seemingly went into cruise control.
But the South never actually went away.
With 2:40 left in the game, and after several abbreviated comeback attempts, the South tied at 79-79 when Lovington's Courtney Mackey snatched the rebound of his own missed shot and scored the putback.
After another tie, at 80-80, the South used free throws to pull away for the victory.
Mackey scored 21 points and was named his team's Most Valuable Player while Sandia Prep's Dale Minschwaner racked up 16 points and was also a major factor before he fouled out.
Though it didn't seem like a problem at the time, a pair of key North players also fouled out before the South made its final run. St. Michael's Eric Geyer and Pojoaque's Ryan Gonzales were on the bench when the tide turned at the end.
The North was led by West Las Vegas' Kenny Lucero and Brandon Encinias, who score 17 and 15 points respectively. Lucero was named as the North MVP for the game.
Besides Mackey's performance in the game itself, it was a big week for Lovington players at the All-Star event. Two days earlier, recent Wildcat senior Lance Smith won the dunk competition.
"It's been a good experience," said Smith, who finished with nine points. "There were like 10 people in it. The one everyone liked was when I threw it off the wall and dunked it. A lot of people also said they liked it when I jumped over one of my teammates."
As for Mackey, who plans on majoring in business at Texas Christian University, he enjoyed working under coach Emmitt Hunt of Laguna-Acoma.
"I like him. He's allright – better than all the rest of them," said Mackey, who was less enthusiastic about being cooped up inside by steady rain in Las Vegas over the course of his stay at the Highlands University campus.
"Being here in the dorm life, it's kind of boring," he said.
