Lady Pintos Dominate Jemez Valley 48-9 in Alice King Opener

MORIARTY — The Moriarty High School Lady Pintos delivered a stifling defensive performance on Thursday night, cruising to a 48-9 victory over Jemez Valley in the opening round of the Alice King Tournament.

From the opening tip, Moriarty controlled the tempo, showcasing a level of energy and cohesion that head coach Jana Baguskis credited as the driving force behind the blowout win.

“I thought we played better than we played the other night,” Baguskis said. “I loved our energy and just our excitement for each other… I loved how our defense played. I loved how unselfish we were. Just a good game.”

The Lady Pintos’ chemistry wasn’t just visible on the court; it has been cultivated behind the scenes through a new team initiative introduced by Baguskis this season: journaling. Inspired by a summer coaching clinic, the Lady Pintos are spending time before and after games reflecting on their mindset and contributions.

“I’ve been having the girls do some journaling, pre- and post-game,” Baguskis explained. “Just having them take time to ask, ‘What are things that I want to work on myself? When something goes wrong, what am I going to do? How can I be a better teammate?’ And then after the game, it’s three things we did well, something I loved, something I learned.”

According to Baguskis, when asked what they loved about the game in their post-game entries, the team’s answer was overwhelming.

“Our energy and our hype for each other was their answer too, and I think just that fueled a lot of our success,” she said. “They’re very honest. It asks, ‘How would you rate your energy and effort?’ And sometimes when a girl doesn’t have a great game, she’s honest… That’s been really fun to see.”

That honesty and focus translated into a balanced offensive attack led by Abbie Beukelman, who finished with a game-high 13 points. She was supported by a trio of scorers who each added 9 points: Emma Quintana, Marisa Ipiotis, and Mikayla Ipiotis.

Angelita Tapia chipped in 5 points, while Yarelli Villa and Emma Rose Chavez added 2 each, and Laura Stewart rounded out the scoring with 1 point.

The win sets up a quick turnaround and a chance for redemption. Moriarty advances to the semifinals on Friday at 6:00 p.m., where they will face Bernalillo—a team they played earlier in the season.

Baguskis sees the rematch as an opportunity to show how much her squad has settled in.

“We get another shot… I don’t think we gave Bernalillo the best version of us [the first time],” Baguskis said. “We gave them the first-game jitter version of us, and now we know what to expect and can settle and play.”

The team plans to review film and hold a walkthrough on Friday before taking the court for the semifinal matchup.

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Game Summary

Final Score: Moriarty 48, Jemez Valley 9 (Alice King Tournament – Opening Round)

Scoring Leaders (Moriarty):

• Abbie Beukelman: 13
• Emma Quintana: 9
• Marisa Ipiotis: 9
• Mikayla Ipiotis: 9
• Angelita Tapia: 5
• Yarelli Villa: 2
• Emma Rose Chavez: 2
• Laura Stewart: 1

Up Next: Moriarty vs. Bernalillo, Friday at 6:00 p.m. (Alice King Tournament Semifinal)