Cuba’s comeback bid falls short in SENAI girls title game

ALBUQUERQUE – A potential game-winning 3 by Cuba freshman Khloe Whitehorse rimmed out just as time expired in the championship game of the Turtle Bracket at the 13th Annual Striking Eagle Native American Invitational on Saturday.

Whitehorse had a good look at the basket, but her shot was halfway through the hoop before it came back out as Dexter prevailed with a 34-32 triumph in the large school finale.

“I thought our girls fought really hard,” Cuba coach Marti Toledo said. “It could have gone either way and this game was kind of like a gut check for us because we’ve been battling sickness.

“The girls came together, and they worked really hard,” she added.

With the two-point loss, Cuba dropped to 4-6 overall.

“We had some tough games,” Toledo said. “We played some 4A schools at the beginning of the season, and I think it really tested us. We battled through and that is what helped us today.”

Entering the fourth, the Lady Rams trailed 25-23 but they gained the upper hand with back-to-back treys from sophomore Kylee Ignacio and senior Abriana Largo.

Largo’s trey with 5:06 left in the fourth earned the Rams a 29-25 cushion.

Dexter, however, picked up its defensive intensity and forced three consecutive turnovers and turned that into a 32-29 lead after a basket by senior post Karina Fuentes with three minutes left.

“They took that lead, but we came back,” Dexter coach Arturo Duran said of his squad’s 7-0 run. “We showed our heart, and we kept fighting, and we were able to come out on top.”

During that Dexter rally, it didn’t help that Cuba junior point guard Cara Toledo was saddled on the bench with four fouls.

“It’s important to have her on the court in situations like that,” Marti Toledo said of her pupil. “She’s one of my returners, so she has some experience at the varsity level. She’s learning that her team needs her, so she needs to make sure that she keeps herself on the court.”

With Cara Toledo on the bench, the Rams looked lost as none of the Cuba players wanted to take possession of the ball.

“I think that’s where our young players are having to learn,” the Cuba coach said. “Right now, we’re trying to figure who is going to take over the game, and who is going to take charge. We just didn’t have that late in the game.”

Despite coming up short, the fifth-year coach was pleased with how her team is coming along after losing 10 seniors last year.

“I only have two returners from last year,” Mardi Toledo said of Cara Toledo and sophomore post Denale Sandoval.

“I have nothing but freshmen, sophomore and juniors, but they’re starting to mesh,” she said. “I think this tournament has really bonded them.”

Largo led Cuba with nine points while Cara Toledo added seven and Sandoval chipped in six.

Dexter, which entered the SENAI tournament for the first time, was led by eighth-grader Melody Duran, who was voted the tournament’s MVP. The crafty post scored in every quarter, as she finished with a game-best 15 points.

“It’s always exciting to win a tournament,” Arturo Duran said. “You know, this is a young team and we’re still a work in progress. It’s good that they’re learning how to win.”

As for his eighth-grader, the Dexter coach says she’s a nice addition to the team.

“We’re happy to have her for the next four years after this year,” he said. “She works just as hard as the other girls. The way I look at it, it’s going to take all of them for us to be successful.

“You have to build up a team in order to win,” he added.

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