Layups and free throws, free throws and layups.

They are the combination any basketball team wants, regardless of the order.

Santa Fe High spent Friday night riding those two elements to a 54-30 win over visiting Los Alamos in a District 2AAAA girls basketball matchup in Toby Roybal Memorial Gymnasium.

The layup fest started early and they were plentiful in the first half.

Of Santa Fe High's 10 baskets in the first 16 minutes, eight were layups. And when the Demonettes (13-5 overall, 2-0 2AAAA) weren't making baskets, Los Alamos was putting them at the charity stripe.

The Lady Hilltoppers (10-10, 1-1) were called for 12 fouls, which translated into 14 free throws for Santa Fe High. Nine were made, and when Alix Jeantete hit an 18-footer with :03 left on the first-half clock, the score was 29-12 in favor of the home team.

The damage was done by the Demonettes' frontline, as it has been for most of the season. This time, it was the freshman phenoms -- Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage and Kayla Herrera -- who combined for 19 points in the first half.

"We gotta establish ourselves inside because these teams can't stop us when we get it inside," said Elmer Chavez, Santa Fe High head coach.

Herrera was especially hot in the second quarter with all 10 of her points. She also hit the only other jumper by Santa Fe High, a 16-footer to start the second for a 13-4 lead.

Herrera also had four rebounds in the quarter, including two offensive ones off of her own misses before scoring on a putback.

The season has been one of building blocks of confidence that have created a confidence level that was lacking at the start of the season.

"I was always nervous, and the coaches just told me to go out there and just play my game," Herrera said. "A lot of the older kids have been talking to me about playing my game. Finally, I just started bringing it."

So, too, did the Demonettes' defense. Santa Fe High went to a 1-3-1 halfcourt trap that helped produce 24 turnovers overall.

Chavez wanted to exploit Los Alamos' poor ballhandling with it.

"They were more concerned with crossing midcourt than shooting jumpers," Chavez said. "That's what that 1-3-1 does. It puts pressure on them, we got people going at the ball."

The pressure took advantage of a depleted Los Alamos squad that didn't have post Haley Each (sinus infection) and then lost freshman Amber Logan for the first half when her head bounced off the floor after taking a charge.

That eliminated the Lady Hilltoppers' top scorer (each with about
14 points per game) and their best ball handler in Logan.

"That was not our normal team," said Tarah Logan, Los Alamos head coach. "Hopefully we can put it together and get ready for Española next week."

The Demonettes are putting it together, one layup and one free throw at a time.

Contact James Barron at 986-3045 or jbarron@sfnewmexican.com.