Santa Fe New Mexican
February 4, 2026
LOS ALAMOS — When in doubt, trust the system.
Wednesday night was not one for offensive beauty for either the Pojoaque Valley Elkettes or the Los Alamos Hilltoppers, but it was a test of Pojoaque’s ability to trust what it has been taught for the past two years under head coach Bobby Romero.
Even though both teams were sloppy with their decision-making, whether it was ball-handling or shot selection, the Elkettes at least were doing it within the structure of Romero’s system.
That was enough to help Pojoaque move into sole possession of second place in District 2-4A in an ugly 23-13 win in Griffith Gymnasium. The win puts the Elkettes in position to regain a share of the district lead when they play 2-4A leader Española Valley Saturday afternoon.
One thing they can take away from their trip to The Hill is that they don’t fold very easily, even when things aren’t going right.
In a first quarter that saw only two made baskets and just eight points, Pojoaque (15-6 overall, 3-1 in 2-4A) showed more poise than the host team. Los Alamos didn’t even get a shot off in its first four possessions and didn’t score until Javaya Davison’s 6-foot jumper with 7:45 left in the second quarter.
What the Hilltoppers (9-10, 2-2) couldn’t do that the Elkettes did was get the ball in the hands of their best player. Junior guard Monique Arrietta was Pojoaque’s one constant on offense, especially since fellow junior Gerrianna Romero was on the bench nursing a hip pointer suffered in a 50-39 loss to Albuquerque Hope Christian Jan. 13.
She scored the last four points of the opening quarter for an 8-0 lead, then hit a momentum-shifting 3-pointer to start the third after the Hilltoppers crept to within 12-8, which started an 8-0 run that proved to be the difference. Arrietta said the key was for every Elkette to do their job and trust in that.
“Our structure kept us in the game,” Arrietta said. “Everybody stayed structured. Everybody knew the right from wrong and what shots to take.”
But baskets were at a premium. The Elkettes had eight the entire game, compared to the Hilltoppers’ six. Even more significant were the four 3s Pojoaque hit, while Los Alamos didn’t hit a single one as it struggled to run its offense almost from the start.
“We couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean,” Los Alamos head coach Mike Kluk said. “That was just the last symptom for us. We couldn’t catch. We couldn’t put the ball in the hole. We couldn’t make our free throws.”
And the Hilltoppers couldn’t consistently get the ball into Davison, their 5-foot-8 forward. She had to work overtime just to get her team-high seven points, as she found double and triple teams awaiting her when the ball made its way inside.
“Our guards get sped up, and they kinda freak out,” Kluk said. “They didn’t control the situation.”
Meanwhile, Pojoaque can look ahead to gaining a measure of revenge against the Sundevils, who won the first matchup, 35-33, on Jan. 22 and are 4-0 in 2-4A play. The Elkettes could also gain an invaluable piece in Romero, who said she is still in pain from her injury but wants to play against Española.
And if Romero does, she knows well enough to trust the system.