It was a devil of a game.

The Santa Fe High boys basketball team bedeviled No. 4 seed Española Valley. But when all was said and done, the Demons just couldn't beat the Sundevils.

It took Española three overtimes to outlast scrappy Santa Fe High in first-round action of the District 2AAAA Tournament on Monday night, but a 45-44 win in Edward Medina Gymnasium secured a fight to the finish with No. 3 Los Alamos on Tuesday in Griffith Gymnasium.

"Right now, it's just a lot of pain," said David Rodgriguez, Demons head coach. "We were in a tough district top to bottom. You really go to war in these games. In our district, we're just beating each other up. It's tough, but I like it that way."

Rodriguez would have liked it a lot more had the Demons (7-19) pulled out the contest. The middling Demons looked poised to turn a corner after upsetting regular-season district champion Capital on Saturday night.

The teams played at breakneck pace on Monday, combining for more lead changes "than you could count," said Richard Martinez, Sundevils head coach.

The game was knotted at 33-all heading into overtime, as the Sundevils outscored Santa Fe High 12-11 over the trio of extra periods.

Josh Martinez hit a triple with 15 seconds left in the third OT to give the Sundevils a one-point lead, but a breathless Sundevils fan base still held off until Elliott Nicholas' desperation heave bounded off the top of the backboard before sucking air. Jeremy Romero finished with 17 points for Española (10-17).

"It could have gone either way down the straightaway," Martinez said. "But I've got an army of 10."

SANTA FE PREPARATORY 62, PEñASCO 43

The Blue Griffins were stingy on defense in the second quarter, allowing only six free throws to the Panthers in the 2AA first-round game in Prep Gymnasium.

The corresponding 15-6 spurt in the second gave Prep (20-6) a 32-16 lead at the half and Peñasco never crept closer than nine points after that.

Joey Lambert had a team-high 17 points for the Blue Griffins, while the post tandem of Will Lenfestey and Dan Van Essen each added 12.

Prep travels to Pecos for the 2AA semifinal at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

PECOS 64, MONTE DEL SOL 56

The Panthers saw the Dragons as a speed bump in a 2AA first-round matchup in Louis G. Sanchez Memorial Gymnasium.

Upon closer inspection, it was a road block as Monte del Sol took a 23-21 halftime lead. The Dragons (5-20) still led 34-33 late in the third when Pecos' press finally paid dividends with a 12-0 run for a 45-34 lead.

"At the end of the day, [the Dragons] didn't want to go home," said Clyde Sanchez, Panthers head coach. "So, you got to play a little smarter and a little better against a team like that. Nothing is a given."

Still, the Dragons got within 47-42 and 59-53 in the fourth before watching their season end.

"We knew if we shot the ball well, we'd play well," said Lucy Lindey, Monte del Sol head coach. "That gives the whole team confidence. But those little 4-0 runs at the end started to add up."

Aaron Lujan had 17 points for Pecos (21-6), Adrian Ortiz added 14 and Paul CdeBaca 12.

Senior Rico Gallegos ended his Dragons career with 17 points, while sophomore Denis Mares added 16.

GIRLS

WALATOWA 45, N.M. SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF 44

The Lady Roadrunners faced a 16-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter of Monday night's District 1B contest, but clawed back to make it a one-possesion game.

Guard Rosina Garcia didn't play because of illness, but the the Roadrunners got a little pick-me-up from Kimberly Herrera, who drained three straight triples to close the gap.

NMSD (10-11, 3-1) just couldn't capitalize on its final possession.