Robertson tops Texico to stay perfect

TEXICO — In what’s already been an impressive season for the Robertson Cardinals, the scariest thing about them may be that they’re still figuring things out.

Robertson figured out just enough Saturday to win a difficult Citizens Bank Tournament, besting the host Wolverines 40-37 at the Texico Sports Arena.

Alianza Darley posted a game-high 22 points for the Cardinals (10-0), who never trailed and built just enough of a lead to survive a fourth-quarter scoring drought.

Tessa Diaz and the sibling pair of Jazmyne and Jayden Jenkins all had five to help Robertson keep the perfect season going despite managing just one free throw and no field goals over the final 7:38 as Texico (9-3) mounted a comeback.

“We’re learning a new system, a new style of play,” said Robertson coach Jose Medina, a 1985 Robertson grad who was coming off 16 years at West Las Vegas. “We’re starting to grasp the concepts and the rotations. From what I understand, the girls would play a 2-3 zone the entire game last seaso mn. We’re trying to take advantage of our athleticism.”

Most of that athleticism centered around Darley, a 5-foot-11 senior whose long arms and legs helped her cover plenty of ground on both ends of the court. She took advantage of a pair of Texico miscues at the end of the first, converting steals into layups for a 13-6 lead.

“They’re so athletic and so long they make you do things normal teams can’t make you do,” Texico coach Richard Luscombe said. “It makes you better, no doubt.”

Texico, led by Ashley Hill’s 14 points, never let the lead get above a few possessions and turned on the defense in the fourth.

With the fourth-quarter lead, Robertson played as much stall-ball as it could, burning about three minutes of clock over two consecutive possessions.

The only problem with the plan was the inability to get up shots, with seven turnovers over the final four minutes to keep Texico’s hopes alive. The Cardinals ended up going scoreless for 6:40, when Tessa Ortiz hit a free throw to make it 40-36.

After Hill hit one of two free throws to cut it to 40-37, a baseball pass to Darley grazed her hand and rolled to the other end line with 6.1 seconds to play. A pair of passes got the ball to Texico junior Riley Thompson in the corner, but Robertson made sure the shot that rimmed out was by no means an open look.

“I thought we did a good job of getting (a shot attempt),” Luscombe said. “I feel bad for Riley because she missed that shot, but a lot of things in the ballgame led up to that.”

Medina knew beating Texico wouldn’t be easy, even though the Cardinals had already pulled a shocker with a semifinal win over Farwell. The close win Saturday, he said, was a good training tool before their next game, Jan. 3 at Albuquerque Academy.

“That’s part of playing these games, playing good teams,” Medina said. “They’re going to battle, and they’re going to expose your weaknesses.”

Texico doesn’t play again until the Eastern Plains Athletic Conference tournament, with the early rounds in Melrose. Luscombe thinks Texico has a good shot at the No. 1 seed based on its wins, and the quality of their three losses.