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Girls Class 5A: Bears vs. Trojans like a clash of fire, ice
Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune
Tribune
Brenna Freeze drives the lane for two of her 18 points against Cibola. Freeze led La Cueva to a 46-41 quarterfinal win Tuesday.
If you go
What: Class 5A girls semifinal
Who: No. 1 Mayfield vs. No. 5 La Cueva
When: 9:45 a.m. Thursday
Where: The Pit
At stake: A berth in Saturday's state championship game. It would be La Cueva's first appearance in the final game since 2003. Mayfield has played in three straight championship games, last winning in 2004.
History: Mayfield slapped La Cueva with a 14-point loss at December's APS tournament.
Rave reviews
The newest venue for the state basketball tournament is receiving rave reviews, at least from the St. Pius X players and coach. The Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho served as the quarterfinals site for the Class 4A girls on Tuesday. "I actually liked it a lot," said Mary Rose Paiz. "Better than The Pit."
Said coach Phil Griego: "The court actually is in great shape. It's got a nice give to it. I'm very impressed with what they've done. I hope we get an opportunity to come back. It's a nice venue."
Numbers
629: Seconds elapsed, on the game clock, between Hobbs baskets during the Eagles' loss to Mayfield. It equates to 10 minutes, 29 seconds.
15-16: Record the St. Michael's girls team will have if it wins the Class 3A state title. The No. 12 seed Lady Horsemen knocked off No. 4 seed Santa Fe Indian School on Tuesday, 39-36, in a quarterfinal at The Pit.
45: Shots missed by Cibola against La Cueva. The Bears had 41 field goal attempts.
The hoops life
The Mayfield girls basketball team has its own one-man camera crew. New Mexico State University student Mathieu Rollack has been trailing the Trojans since October, recording footage for a short documentary he's producing for a class. He was at The Pit on Tuesday filming his yet-untitled film during Mayfield's win over Hobbs. Rollack, a Mayfield graduate, chose to document the Trojans' 2006-07 journey after the stabbing involving former players Carissa McGee, Marie McGee and their mother. Carissa McGee would have been a senior this year. Rollack will enter the short film, which could range from 10 to 30 minutes, in a PBS contest in May.
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Brenna Freeze saved her most emphatic reaction for the interview room.
While discussing the key charge Freeze took in a 46-41 quarterfinal win over Cibola, the placid La Cueva junior paused and shared a lighthearted high-five with Bears coach Greg Berger.
Also usually laid back, Mayfield's Madi Spence was anything but calm during the Trojans' 58-51 victory over Hobbs.
As she collected her 28 points, Spence's afternoon was filled with Tiger Woods fist pumps. And scowls.
Spence, who is widely considered New Mexico's top player, cast several incredulous glares at officials. She has developed an edge.
"We knew we'd eventually get a run and once we did that they'd get down. We knew they'd get worried," Spence said after the Hobbs game.
Mayfield, the No. 1 seed, and No. 5 La Cueva are as different as the Tuesday demeanor of Spence and Freeze, each team's top player.
Expect further contrasts when the Bears and Trojans play at 9:45 a.m. Thursday for a berth in the Class 5A girls state championship game.
Wielding size - six Bears stand 5-foot-10 or taller - and marksmanship, La Cueva thrives in a controlled game.
"Their inside-outside game gave us some problems," said Mayfield coach George Maya of the teams' last meeting in December, a 68-54 Trojans win.
With its over-caffeinated aggression and quickness, Mayfield lives on chaos. When things are clicking, perhaps no team can flood a scoreboard like the Trojans.
Mayfield scorched Hobbs with a 23-3 run that bridged the second and third quarters. The Eagles never recovered.
La Cueva can relate.
"We were a little flustered by their press," said Freeze, who predicted that the previous experience against Mayfield's frantic defense should help the Bears.
As opposite as the teams are - north/south, taller/smaller, quicker/slower - La Cueva and Mayfield share some common traits.
Both looked like a serious title contender Tuesday.
Both also can ill afford to repeat Thursday mistakes.
Mayfield converted just four points off turnovers, missing several layups and hitting just 56 percent of its free throws.
"We won't survive the (La Cueva) game if we do that," Maya said.
La Cueva certainly wasn't perfect. The Bears didn't hit a field goal against Cibola for the game's opening 11 minutes and 14 seconds. Mayfield could bury La Cueva in half that time.
Hit those shots and the Bears could knock off the Trojans. La Cueva is the type of team that has bothered Mayfield in the past.
"We're glad to be the flag-bearer for Albuquerque (as the last area team left in the 5A field)," Berger said. "I was hoping to finally win one in The Pit after having come up short in the past. Now that we have, let's do it two more times."
