Lady Timberwolves Claim District Title in Physical, Power-Delayed Thriller

SANDIA PARK, N.M. — Not even a pre-game blackout could dim the lights on the East Mountain Lady Timberwolves’ historic season.

Overcoming a 70-minute power outage and a grueling, physical defensive battle, top-seeded East Mountain (22-5) secured the District 5-3A tournament title Friday night with a 59-51 victory over Cuba’s Lady Rams.

The win marks a milestone for the program, played before a standing-room-only crowd at the Vista Grande Community Center. According to athletic director Kasi Giovenco, it was the first time the facility reached maximum capacity for an East Mountain sporting event. The demand was so high that fans were turned away at the door, and those inside were warned that leaving at halftime meant losing their seats for good.

The drama began 35 minutes before the scheduled 6 p.m. tip-off when a traffic accident knocked out power to the facility. The teams eventually took the floor more than an hour late.

Cuba (9-12), playing with its season on the line—a win would have earned the Lady Rams an automatic berth in the state tournament—battled back to tie the game at 7-7 and 11-11. However, East Mountain’s Evelyn Kannolt took over in the second quarter. Kannolt scored 10 of her game-high 21 points in the period, fueling an 18-point frame that gave the Timberwolves a 34-21 lead at the break.

“We held our poise,” said East Mountain coach Ron Drake. “They’ve been scoring a lot of points, and we held them… we just kept our poise in the game. You know, we got up 15, then all of a sudden it was six. And we kept it at six for a while, then we jumped to 10.”

The Lady Rams made their move in the third quarter, outscoring the hosts 19-12 to trim the deficit. But East Mountain’s Kate Hushman ensured the comeback fell short. Hushman, who finished with 20 points, scored 16 of them in the second half to weather Cuba’s physical press.

“It was a tough go,” Drake said. “We beat them three times [this year]. That’s hard to do. With the layover, with the lights out and everything, we were a little lazy, but I’m so proud of this team.”

The Timberwolves were efficient from the charity stripe, finishing 18-of-25 as a team. Maya Cheney added 10 points in the winning effort, while Genesis Navarro-Chavez chipped in six.

The victory guarantees East Mountain a high seed in the upcoming state tournament. While the team currently sits at No. 11 in some metrics, Drake believes their strength of schedule and recent wins, including a victory over St. Michael’s, should earn them a top-eight seed and a home game.

“I’m thinking 7 or 8,” Drake said regarding the upcoming selection show. “We should host the first round. I don’t want to go 8, though, because if we win, eventually we play Navajo Prep, and they’re really good. Maybe 7 would be the thing.”

The New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) will announce the official brackets during its selection show Sunday at 4:30 p.m. on its YouTube channel.

EAST MOUNTAIN (59) Evelyn Kannolt 21, Kate Hushman 20, Maya Cheney 10, Genesis Navarro-Chavez 6, Elizabeth Appel 2, Emee Naylor 2, Elizabeth Thomas 2.

CUBA (51) (Stats not fully provided)

Score by Quarters: Cuba: 11 | 10 | 19 | 11 — 51 East Mountain: 16 | 18 | 12 | 13 — 59