ALBUQUERQUE — Local fans are used to the Class AAA Girls State Basketball Tournament serving as a showcase of District 2AAA. Once the semifinal round arrives, The Pit often houses what feels like the district tournament redux.

It's back — again.

For more photos from the state basketball tournament: http://santafenewmexican.smugmug.com/

The final pin fell into place Tuesday afternoon when West Las Vegas repeatedly burned Thoreau with its press and breezed past the Lady Hawks 67-50.

That means Thursday morning's semifinal pits West Las Vegas against St. Michael's, the district rivals who have played three times, all Lady Dons victories.

It's the first trip to the semifinals in head coach Jose Medina's tenure.

For West Las Vegas senior Linda Esquibel, the matchup brings two opposing feelings.

"We were hoping they would win because we know their game, we know we could beat them," Esquibel said. "But, then again, there's always that fear in the back of your head that, what if this time around they get us."

Esquibel and the Lady Dons gave their fans little reason to doubt them after halftime on Tuesday.

Defensive pressure by West Las Vegas (27-4) made Thoreau (21-7) look as though they were dribbling in mittens. The Lady Dons converted turnover after turnover into an easy basket. When the flurry ended West Las Vegas decked Thoreau 15-2 and tucked the game away.

"Our defensive intensity," said Medina, when asked about the second half burst. "We came out right away and got two or three steals for easy baskets. That just got us a little more hungry to go after it."

The bigger difference might have been actually transforming all that defensive energy into offense.

West Las Vegas squeezed more turnovers out of Thoreau in the first half (20) than the second (15).

However, the Lady Dons shot a higher percentage in that
second half (57 percent to
30 percent in the first).

"I guess we were a little nervous going in," said Esquibel who led the Lady Dons with 20 points and 13 rebounds. "I was actually a little nervous getting in there, I don't know about the other girls because it's my senior year and I was like, 'I don't want to make any mistakes.'

"That first shot I hit just sparked me and I got more comfortable and more confident."

Her teammates followed suit.

Three other Lady Dons reached double figures in scoring: Vanessa Lucero (16 points, eight rebounds), Miranda Martinez (15 and five assists) and Briana Montaño (11).

Justine Miller led the Lady Hawks with 11 points. Thoreau had nearly twice as many turnovers (35) as field goals (19).

Tuesday's frenetic pace played into the Lady Dons' hands, though they committed 32 turnovers themselves.

Thoreau seemed willing to push the pace, something methodical and deliberate
St. Michael's will do everything it can to prevent.

The Lady Horsemen controlled the pace in the first matchup, but the Lady Dons prevailed, 38-34.

In Round 2, West Las Vegas rolled in a freewheeling game, 50-27. The Lady Dons also knocked St. Michael's out of the district tournament with a 50-43 win.

"We can't allow them to set up on either end. We've got to get it up-tempo, get it chaotic," Medina said. "There's going to be more wrinkles, more adjustments made. We've seen each other, we've scouted each other. Now, it just comes down to who wants it more, making more adjustments and we'll see.

"It makes it more interesting, a lot more fun."