No head coach, no problem.

The Santa Fe Indian School girls basketball team was without the services of recuperating head coach Cindy Roybal for Saturday night's District 5AAA visit to Pojoaque Valley. The Lady Braves won anyway, 64-39.

Roybal had surgery on her wrist this week and skipped Saturday's game. It didn't stop her from demanding updates from afar, however.

"We kept texting her scores," said assistant coach and temporary front man Jo Jo Valdez. "She'd say, 'Good,' or 'Better.' Stuff like that."

Played in Ben Lujan Gymnasium, the game was all SFIS after the first quarter. Leading 16-12 after the initial period, the Lady Braves (17-5, 4-1) were in front 38-24 at halftime and up by 17 heading into the final quarter.

Valdez said a 20-point win assured the team of a day off on Sunday.

"We can't practice and play seven days a week," he said. "The players are only human. They need rest."

SFIS was also without the services of power forward Danielle Nelson. She sat out with a sore knee.

Mystri Jodie led the Lady Braves with 17 points. Justina Coriz had five 3-pointers and 15 points. Jennifer Willie had 13.

Cheyenne Cordova was Pojoaque's only double-digit scorer with 15 points. The Elkettes dropped to 10-13 overall, 1-4 in 5AAA with the loss.

MCCURDY 48, ESCALANTE 30

In Española, the host Lady Bobcats were almost undone by the sniffles in a District 4A victory over the Lady Lobos.

McCurdy started the game with starters Patricia Luera and Alannah Sanchez on the bench after both battled colds all week. Head coach Ray Roybal wasn't planning on using them, but after Escalante jumped to a 5-0 lead he had both players enter the game.

"I figured I just had to go with them," Roybal said. "If they started feeling sick I'd just take them out."

Neither did come out. At least, not for long.

Sanchez finished with 11 points and Luera three as McCurdy turned an 11-11 tie after the first quarter into a 25-14 halftime lead.

Jacqueline Maestas had 14 points for the Lady Bobcats (12-9, 1-0) while Mia Martinez added 10. Abigail Martinez and Honoria Andrews each had eight for Escalante.

DULCE 38, PECOS 25

In Pecos, the Lady Panthers' offensive struggles continued with a nondistrict loss to the visiting Lady Hawks.

Only four players scored for Pecos (13-9), which has been held to 36 or fewer points in six of its last nine games.

"We started the year off by scoring games in the 60s and 70s, now we're in a slump where it's been the 20s and 30s for about a month and a half," said Lady Panthers head coach Leroy Barela. "Against a top-10 team like Dulce, that's not going to cut it."

Diamond Montaño led Pecos with eight points, 14 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Freshmen Kiana Trujillo and Ida Valencia combined for 13 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks while senior Brittany Gallegos had four points, eight boards and a game-high five rejections.

Dulce (13-9) was led by Elise Martinez's 14 points. Freshman guard Alyssa Veneno added four 3-pointers and finished with 12 points.

It doesn't get any easier for Pecos, which will host District 2AA rival Mora on Monday. The Rangerettes are ranked second in the state.

JEMEZ VALLEY 71, MESA VISTA 66

In Jemez Springs, the visiting Lady Trojans (13-8, 1-1) never got things going in a District 7AA loss to the Lady Warriors (14-7, 1-1).

Mesa Vista head coach Richard Montoya said one player forgot her uniform and the entire team played with a lack of urgency, particularly in the third quarter.

"We didn't show up ready to play ball," he said. "I told them that whoever wins the third quarter usually wins the game, and we were flat in the third quarter."

Jemez Valley turned a 35-29 halftime lead into an 11-point cushion heading into the final period thanks largely to its stifling defense -- 35 forced turnovers -- and the play of 6-foot center Aubre Choza. She registered a game-high 23 points, leading four Lady Warriors in double figures.

Mesa Vista got 17 points from Brandy Valdez, 13 from Ashlee Alire and double-doubles from both Brittany Gallegos and Julia Martinez. Gallegos had 10 points and 15 rebounds while Martinez went for 21 and 11.

SANTA FE PREPARATORY 45, MONTE DEL SOL 40 (OT)

The Blue Griffins have been trained to hurry up and score.

What they forgot is that it's not necessary when you're leading in the final moments. Prep (7-15, 1-3) almost shot itself out of a District 2AA win in Prep Gymnasium, as a shot with less than 20 seconds to go in regulation allowed the Lady Dragons a chance to tie it.

Amelia Gutierrez did that with a pair of free throws with :03.8 left.

"You tell them all the time, 'You gotta score, you gotta score,' " Prep head coach Anika Amon said. "And then you tell them with 30 seconds left, 'Don't shoot!' It's a hard change."

However, the Blue Griffins were reprieved in the extra period, taking a 43-40 lead and held the ball for 40 seconds as Monte del Sol (12-9, 0-4) was slow to foul.

"I think they were trying to go for the steal more than anything," Lady Dragons head coach Ralph Casaus said. "It was a mistake on our part."

Prep senior Maddy Fort had a triple double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 steals. Olivia Cicci had 11 points and Alex Archuleta added 10. Kariann Ortega paced Monte del Sol with 12 points, while Alysia Lujan added 11.