Mentality Over Skill: Lady Pintos Look to Bridge the Gap After Loss to Goddard

MORIARTY, NM – In the wake of a tough 62-26 loss to the Goddard Lady Rockets on Thursday night, Moriarty High School head coach Jana Baguskis isn’t looking at the box score to find answers. She’s looking at the “mental” side of the game.

For Baguskis, the lopsided score was less a reflection of a talent deficit and more a mirror of the team’s current struggle to handle adversity.

“I think for us, we have the skills, we have the athleticism to beat anybody,” Baguskis said following the game. “For us, it’s mental. When things get hard, we have a hard time pushing through that and getting to the other side. We have to learn to handle hard.”

The Senior Weight

The post-game atmosphere was heavy, particularly for the upperclassmen. Several players emerged from the locker room visibly emotional, a reality Baguskis attributed to the finite nature of a senior season.

“It hits differently when they’re seniors,” Baguskis noted. “For some of us, it’s not a loss, we’ve got more [games]. But for our seniors, they feel it. Their days are numbered, and they are pouring everything into it. Sometimes a hurt should hurt.”

Practice Mirrors Performance

The Lady Pintos struggled with turnovers early in the first quarter and again in the third, allowing Goddard to build a lead that eventually triggered a 35-point margin. While the team “settled down” late and began running their sets more effectively, the damage was done.

Baguskis was candid about where the responsibility lies, pointing to a string of practices that were “not bad, but not great.”

“I told them those words [about boxing out and talking] have to stop being empty,” Baguskis said. “Until we do them, nothing changes. I think practice mirrors our games, so I’ve got to hold them more accountable—and hold myself more accountable—so we are better prepared.”

Box Score Highlights

Despite the difficult night, senior leader Laura Stewart led the Lady Pintos with 13 points, providing a consistent spark on offense. Angelita Tapia added 8 points, including two shots from behind the arc. Bea Perea (3 points) and Mikayla Ipiotis (2 points) rounded out the scoring for Moriarty.

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Lady Pinto Scoring	Points
Laura Stewart	13
Angelita Tapia	8 (2 3-PT)
Bea Perea	3
Mikayla Ipiotis	2

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Looking Ahead: Socorro

The Lady Pintos (62-26) won’t have much time to dwell on the loss as they prepare for a Saturday road trip to Socorro. Baguskis sees it as a prime opportunity for her team to shift their mindset from “playing to survive” to “playing to win.”

“Sometimes we have a hard time playing not to lose, rather than playing to win,” Baguskis explained, referencing a previous game against Navajo Pine where the team let a lead slip into a defensive shell. “We have to keep pushing on the wound. I’m looking forward to the Socorro game. It’s a game where we can compete.”

The key to Saturday’s matchup may lie in Moriarty’s ability to rattle Socorro’s backcourt and maintain their aggressive edge for four full quarters. For Baguskis, it’s all part of the growth she believes is waiting on the other side of this week’s adversity.