Class AA semifinal: No. 3 Mesa Vista vs. No. 2 Santa Rosa

There is a lot of Trojan black in the arena, but that is offset by the purple of the Lions.
It plans on being a very festive game. The two teams played in the AA quarterfinals last year, won by Santa Rosa 69-62. They also played in the championship of the Tularosa Tournament. Again, the Lions won, 67-62, rallying from a 25-point deficit to do it.

First quarter
The action is fast-paced, with a lot of turnovers.
Jaime Cruz Jr. has come out fast, scoring eight of his team's 10 points. Lions head coach Frank Ortiz is livid, and he breaks two clipboards to prove it. Then he complains to the referee about the quality of today's clipboards.
Santa Rosa has responded, scoring five straight points.
Lions 13, Trojans 10. 1:39 to go.
Cruz hits a baseline jumper to get the Trojans to within three. Santa Rosa tries to hustle for a last-second shot but the buzzer sounds before than.
Cruz now has 10 points.
Lions 15, Trojans 12

Second quarter
Frankie Giron is off to a rough start. two more misses to start the quarter makes him 0-for-7 overall and 0-for-5 from 3-point range. The Trojans are 0-8 as a team from the perimeter. Turnovers are also becoming an issue, and the Lions are taking advantage of theirs. They scored the first six points of the quarter and took a 21-12 lead before Adrian Coronado scored on a bucket. Mesa Vista has been turned into a jump-shooting team and is executing poorly at that.
A Trojan miss and a bucket for Santa Rosa now makes it 23-14 with 5:01 to go.
Mesa Vista head coach Thomas Vigil calls a timeout.
Giron finally gets on the scoreboard with a 19-footer, but the Trojans cannot solve the Lions' matchup zone. A Trojan steal leads to a Giron layup and now Ortiz calls a timeout with 3:41 to go. With a new clipboard.
23-18, Lions.
Cruz nails a 3 from the top of the key (seems like these players are using the red college line as reference instead of the black one) and the lead it 23-21. Daniel Bailey misses a second straight close range layup for Santa Rosa and Coronado comes back with an offensive board and then is fouled. He hits two free throws, then comes up with a steal. Giron, who has just checked back in, hits a wing 3 for a three-point lead.
Frank Ortiz calls his fourth timeout. he has only one left for the rest of the game.
26-23, Mesa Vista.
Cruz and Giron combine for layups, and Santa Rosa finally gets on the scoreboard with a layup from Gary Agar.
The half ends with Mesa Vista on a 16-2 run.
Mesa Vista 30, Santa Rosa 25.

Third quarter
The Lions regain control of the game. A 9-0 run has ensued with guard Joaquin Bachicha scoring seven of the points. The run comes to a temporary halt when Coronado hits one of two free throws and the Trojans force yet another turnover. It is the 20th of the game for the Lions.
Cruz drives and gets fouled. He hits two to make it 34-33 as we hit the 4-minute mark.
Cruz continues his scoring mastery, hitting two more free throws.
The Lions score three straight, capped by Jeff Reeves steal and layup. Cruz travels.
Bachicha hits a reverse layup and it's 41-35, Lions.
Mesa Vista timeout, 1:46 to go.
Cruz comes up with a layup, Santa Rosa turns it over, and Giron gets fouled. He makes one of two.
Jeff Reeves and Cruz trade 3-pointers, with Cruz's coming at the buzzer. Cruz scored nine of his team's 11 points and has 24 points for the game.
The fourth should be exciting.
Santa Rosa 44, Mesa Vista 41.

Fourth quarter
Estevan Trujillo hits a baseline jumper, but Robert Serrano replies with a layup. The two teams trade turnovers - with one being a Santa Rosa charge.
Giron is on the break and fires a 3, and Bachicha fouls him. He hits all three and the game is tied at 46. 5:51 left.
Giron gets a steal and feed to Coronado, but Bachicha comes from behind with the block. Then Bachicha turns it over on the other end. Cruz hits a baseline jumper for a 48-46 lead. Trujillo misses a short j, but Coronado comes up with a big block on a breakaway. Giron throws up a wild shot, then the Lions grab three offensive rebounds before Serrano gets a putback.
Timeout, Mesa Vista.
48-48 with 3:34 on the clock.
Cruz gets fouled and hits one of two free throws. He now has 27 points.
Another Lions offensive rebound, but Trujillo gets a steal. Then Bachicha gets a loose ball.
Yet another Santa Rosa offensive rebound, then the Lions can't get the inbounds pass in.
The last timeout is used.
49-48, Mesa Vista with 2:35 left.
Cruz comes up with a heady play, knocking the ball off of Bachicha for a turnover. Then Kris Buzzard is called for a 5-second violation. 2:14 remains.
Reeves scores a bucket, then Bachicha gets a rebound and is fouled. It's the sixth team foul on Mesa Vista. The Trojans are in the one-and-one bonus. 1:23 to go.
The Lions turn the ball over, then Cruz steps on the line for a turnover.
A Giron steal. Buzzard misses, but Coronado steals the ball.
Giron gets fouled, then has the first one rattle in and out, then the second one popped out. Coronado fouls Reeves. He hits two for 52-49 with 37.7 left.
Timeout, Mesa Vista. The Trojans have one more left.
Lions 52, Trojans 49.
50-49, Santa Rosa
Mesa Vista sets it up for Cruz, but Trujillo's bounce pass gets past him. Cruz saves it back to Trujillo, then gets it back.
A baseline drive draws the foul and he hits two.
52-51, 16.6 to go.
Coronado fouls Ricardo Roybal with 14.67 to go and he gets the first shot high off the back of the rim and in. The second is good.
54-51.
Bachicha fouls Giron in the backcourt with 12.7 left.
The senior hits both free throws, then Coronado fouls Roybal again in the one-and-one.
He rolls the first one in, then the second
56-53.
Giron gets the pick from Cruz, hits the wing 3 and we go to ...
OVERTIME!!!
56-56.

Overtime
Cruz hits two free throws to start. Agar misses and Bizzard boards. Coronado misses a drive and Santa Rosa has it.
Roybal 3 makes it 57-56, then Giron tries to answer with his triple and misses. Cruz gets called for the foul on Roybal. He hits two.
59-56, Santa Rosa.
Giron misses a 3, then Serrano grabs two offensive boards before Trujillo is called for the foul. Serrano makes two and it's 63-58, Lions with 2:06 left.
Timeout, Mesa Vista. The Lions are a plus-8 rebounding since the fourth quarter.
The Trojans are now in a must-score mode, but the Lions won't give them anything. Cruz misses a 3 and the Lions work the clock.
Serrano is fouled by Buzzard at 1:13, and he misses the first. The second is also no good, but the board comes back to Serrano. The Lions run more time off the clock before Coronado fouls Roybal.
He hits two and it's 65-58 with less then a minute left.
Giron misses a 3. Roybal is fouled yet again, with 36.3 left. He misses the first, but hits the second.
66-58.
Cruz finally hits a 3, but it may be too late. Serrano is fouled with 16.2 to go.
He hits two and it's 68-61.
Giron misses a 3, Serrano gets a final breakway basket and the Lions advance to the AA final.
Lions 70, Trojans 61.
Mesa Vista finishes 25-5, but have yet to beat the Lions when it matters the most.