Sandia, AHS, RR boys advance

Cibola, Sandia and Highland girls win

For five weeks, it was one agonizing loss after another for the Sandia Matadors.

Within the span of four days this week, however, the Matadors have done some serious purging.

Their 46-42 victory at Santa Fe on Friday night in the District 2-6A semifinals gave Sandia its third road win of the week and put it into the 2-6A championship game at 7 tonight at No. 1 seed Eldorado.

Tanner Sloan had 15 points for No. 5 seed Sandia (13-14), which got out to a quick lead on the second-seeded Demons (17-10).

At Eldorado on Friday, the Matador girls edged No. 2 seed Eldorado 50-49 in the 2-6A semifinals.

No. 3 seed Sandia (22-5) plays at No. 1 La Cueva at 5 p.m. today. Cara Liggins had a team-high 16 points for the Matadors. DISTRICT 1-6A: Rio Rancho’s boys labored to beat Cibola last week, needing overtime to beat the Cougars. There were no such troubles for the Rams on Friday as they blasted visiting Cibola 79-54 in the 1-6A semifinal

matchup.

No. 2 seed Rio Rancho (19-8) is at No. 1 Cleveland at 5:30 this afternoon for the tournament title. Juan Hurt had a team-best 23 points for the Rams. Cibola had made 13 shots from the 3-point line in the previous meeting, but only three on Friday.

At Volcano Vista, Cibola’s thirdseeded girls beat No. 2 Volcano Vista 65-54 as the Cougars (18-8) advanced to the 1-6A tournament final at 7:30 tonight at No. 1 Rio Rancho.

Guard Kavi Brown led the Cougars with 16 points.

DISTRICT 4-6A: After losing a pair of games to Valley during the district regular season, Albuquerque High went into the Vikings’ gym on Friday and beat second-seeded Valley 39-35 in the boys semifinal. This, despite a scoreless second quarter for AHS.

The third-seeded Bulldogs (19-8) are at No. 1 seed Atrisco Heritage at 7 tonight.

Highland’s girls downed Atrisco Heritage 56-49, as the second-seeded Hornets (16-9) move into the tournament final at 7 tonight — at Rio Grande — against No. 1 seed West Mesa.

Esperanza Crespin, Brooklyn Crawford and Natazanya Crespin combined for 44 of Highland’s 56 points.

DISTRICT 5-5A BOYS: In Belen, No. 2 seed Los Lunas grabbed an early lead and made it stick, turning back the host Eagles’ determined second-half comeback and winning the tournament title with a 48-44 victory over top-seeded Belen (20-7).

Los Lunas (23-5) was led by sophomore A.J. Garcia who had 16 points. The Tigers’ Zanen Zeller and Kayden Walker-Gabaldon added 12 and 11, respectively. Belen senior Nick Trujillo led the Eagles with 14 points in the loss.

The Tigers led early by as many as 11 points, but the Eagles cut the deficit to one, 35-34, midway through the fourth quarter.

DISTRICT 5-4A: In Bernalillo, the Spartans captured their tournament championship, turning aside Santa Fe Indian 74-56. Reyes Herrera and Tyrese Coriz each scored 14 points for Bernalillo (14-13), which drained a dozen 3s in the victory — seven combined by Coriz and Herrera.

In Santa Fe, SFIS’ girls defeated Bernalillo 57-51, as the Braves advanced to the tournament final today at No. 1 seed Sandia Prep.