Colt Dillon Reynolds goes up for two of the 13 points he scored against Loving Thursday. Photo courtesy Laura Brown
NMMI Sports Press
Colt sophomore Jesus Luy looks for a way around a pair of Falcons. Luy ran the ball and scored 10 points for NMMI, with a pair of 3-pointers and a free throw. Photo courtesy Laura Brown
The Colt basketball team didn’t get a victory in its first game of the season, falling to Loving 56-52, but it certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort.
In previewing his team, Stevens talked about the defense the NMMI squad would put up, and early in the game that defense showed.
The Colts were up 9-1 with 3:39 left in the first, with the only Falcon goal coming off a free throw at 5:29. But the visitors then went on a 6-0 run before Dillon Reynolds hit a field goal, and NMMI led 11-7 after one.
Colt Fabian Martinez gets knocked down by Falcon Jacob Rodriguez during a shot. Photo courtesy Laura Brown
Loving opened the second quarter with an 11-2 run, tying the game at 13-all, then going up 18-13 before the Colts started battling back.
Back-to-back-to-back treys — two by Emilio Maldonado and one by Jesus Luy — cut the Falcon lead to 25-24 at the half. And if Hector Reyna hadn’t sent a shot from half-court off just a split second late — it would have been 27-25 NMMI.
The second half was almost exactly the same.
The Colts came out of the locker room fired up, going on a 12-2 run with Loving not getting its first points of the third until 4:01. The Falcons cut the 10-point NMMI lead to six, 40-34 after three, but a 3 by Maldonado to open the third put NMMI up by nine.
David Elias goes up for two points. Photo courtesy Laura Brown
A field goal by David Elias with 4:02 on the clock gave the Colts a five-point edge, but except for a trey by Falcon Steven Carrasco, all the rest of the points in the game came from the line.
Reynolds, Fausto Baranzini and Andres Aranda all fouled out late, and while NMMI went 6-for-8 down the stretch from the charity stripe, the Falcons were 9-for-13, which was enough for the difference.
Reynolds led the Colt scoring with 13 points, while Maldonado and Luy each picked up 10 on three 3s and a free throw. Falcon Carrasco led all scorers with 22 points while Alex Gonzalez picked up 16 and Timothy Porras 13.
Andres ARanda rises above a pair of Falcons. Photo courtesy Laura Brown
With the thanksgiving holidays on the horizon, the Colts won’t be back in action until Nov. 29 when they travel to Tularosa.
The junior varsity got their first win of the season, pounding Loving 58-17.
They went up 12-3 in the first, led 25-9 at the half and 47-14 after three.
Samid Ortega led the scoring with 13 points, while Hector Reyna and Nigel Grubbs both added 12.
