AHS Stays Perfect in 5-5A

2nd-Half Surge Fuels Triumph

One of the highest-quality halves of its season led to an important win for the Albuquerque High boys basketball team Friday night.

AHS spotted West Mesa the first six points of the second half, but then scored 35 of the final 41 points as the fourth-ranked ‘Dogs ran away from the ninth-ranked Mustangs 65-42 in a District 5-5A showdown at Bulldog City.

“They’re starting to believe that they’re a pretty good basketball team,” AHS coach Ron Garcia said. “I’m telling you. We’re close to getting four (full) quarters in.”

The Bulldogs (15-3, 3-0 in 5-5A) held West Mesa to 12 points in the final two quarters, but even that statistic doesn’t give the whole picture.

The game was square at 30 at halftime, and West Mesa (13-6, 3-1) started quickly in the third quarter, getting 3-pointers in the opening minute from Nick Trujillo and Jose Garcia. It was 36-30.

If you take away a Mustang basket with 17 seconds left in the game, Albuquerque High limited West Mesa to just two meaningful field goals over the final 15:07.

“I thought we got some looks,” West Mesa coach Shonn Schroer said, “but we shot the ball kind of quick when we did get a lead.”

AHS closed the third quarter with a 10-2 run, and opened the fourth quarter with a 13-0 run.

“It’s tough to keep any team under 20 points for a half,” said AHS post James Croasdell, who led the Bulldogs with 17 points, “but we have the defense to do it.”

The offensive formula proved to be relatively simple: AHS spread the floor, and took advantage of its depth and quickness at the guard position with Xavier Ayers, Bobby Montoya and (especially) Mahlik Sims.

“I think they tried to pressure us,” Sims said, “which was the wrong thing for them to do.”

With point guard Martin Colledge-Romero on the bench for a good part of the second half after dinging his knee in the third quarter, Sims, Ayers and Montoya carried the load easily, and with style.

“We didn’t contain their dribble penetration,” Schroer said. “I thought that was the difference.”

West Mesa had closed the first half on a 15-2 run and had a six-point possession near the end of the second quarter after AHS was hit with a bench technical and a technical on Sims.

Jon Rael made six straight free throws — four as a result of the technicals, the other two on a personal foul — as West Mesa overcame a 28-15 deficit.

“They’re the second-best team in the district,” Croasdell said. “But we can’t underestimate them at their house (when we go there Feb. 14).”