HOOPS & HOPES
State tournament starts today
The time to shine is finally here for boys and girls high school basketball teams across the north landscape as the state tournament tips off this weekend.
The girls take center court with their first round games tonight, followed by the boys Saturday. Here is a capsule rundown of the games involving the local teams, with the winners advancing to venues in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho.
GIRLS
6A
NO. 16 SANTA FE (11-16) AT HOBBS (27-1), 6 P.M.
The Demonettes have completed a tough climb back into the state tournament, despite having a coach who took over the squad just as the season was about to start. The trio of Adonica Baca-Martinez (15.6 points per game), Taylor Salazar (11.0) and Elena Gonzales (10.1) has been productive throughout the season. But the Eagles are a deep, veteran squad led by juniors Amaya Lewis and Kiara Knight.
5A
NO. 3 ESPAÑOLA VALLEY (19-6) VS. NO. 14 (15-13) AZTEC, 7 P.M.
Nothing short of playing in the final game of the season will satisfy the Sundevils, who will be banking on the indoor power of Alexis Lovato, and the steady play of guards Leah DeArguero and Alycia Archibque as the seniors are all tough and battle tested. The Tigers have lost five of their eight games throughout February.
4A
NO. 3 ROBERTSON (20-6) VS. NO. 14 ST. MICHAEL’S (13-14), 6 P.M.
The Cardinals rely on a balanced attack as Angelica Montoya (10.7), Alianza Darley (10.5), Jazmyne Jenkins (10.2), Maria Barela (9.8) and Brianna Roybal (9.1) are all capable scorers. The Cardinals, however, have no seniors, while the Horsemen are a veteran group with four seniors led by guard Jocelyn Fernandez and post Danielle Vigil. The teams have met three times, with Robertson holding a 2-1 advantage.
NO. 6 WEST LAS VEGAS (20-8) VS. NO. 11 SOCORRO (16-12), 5:30 P.M.
The Dons have gotten hot at the right time, winning their past five games to claim the 2-4A tournament
title. Senior forward Jenika Padilla powers the offense for WLV and junior Jenna Bustos provides the steady hand. Destiney Vergara is the Warriors’ only senior for an up-and-coming team.
NO. 13 POJOAQUE VALLEY (12-14) AT NO. 4 PORTALES (16-10), 6 P.M.
The Elkettes will be looking inside to freshman center Ashten Martinez, and outside to senior guard Adrianna Quintana and Felyse Cordova. The Rams have struggled down the stretch, losing four of seven games.
NO. 15 SANTA FE INDIAN SCHOOL (16-10) AT NO. 2 SHIPROCK (22-5), 7 P.M.
The seeding committee did the Braves no favors. Sophomore Leanna Lewis and junior Tyra Yeppa power the offense on a team that has just one senior. SFIS had won five in a row before losing to Sandia Prep in the opening round of the district tournament. Seniors Tanisha Begay (14.0) and Paige Dale (12.3) are the Chieftains’ main offensive weapons.
NO. 16 TAOS (12-15) AT NO. 1 HOPE CHRISTIAN (25-2)
The Tigers have one of the state’s most dynamic scorers in Aaliyah Quintana, who averaged 22.5 points on the season, but Taos has lost four of five games and will need a monumental effort to upend the Huskies, who attack in waves behind senior posts Alivia Lewis (6-2) and Brielle Milford (6-1).
3A
NO. 7 PECOS (20-7) VS. NO. 10 LOVING (15-23)
Led by venerable coach Ron Drake, the Panthers are getting strong production from Cassaundra Muller (15.3) and Megan Armijo (11.1).
NO. 12 MCCURDY (15-11) AT NO. 5 LAGUNA-ACOMA (22-5)
The Bobcats rely on Karla Santos for scoring on a young squad with no seniors.
2A
NO. 6 ESCALANTE (19-7) VS. NO. 11 PEÑASCO (18-9), 6 P.M.
The well-rounded Lobos have three players averaging more than eight points a game in Alex Marquez (9.1), Tonisha Torrez (8.8) and Toni Salazar (8.2).
BOYS
6A
NO. 13 SANTA FE (17-10) VS. NO. 4 ELDORADO (19-6), 5 P.M.
If there is one team the depleted Demons would have preferred avoiding in the first round, it would have to be the Eagles, who won both meetings this season by more than 20 points. Santa Fe has had to deal with the mid-season suspension of two key players and is still struggling to find the rhythm it possessed earlier in the season.
5A
NO. 2 CAPITAL (22-5) VS. NO. 15 GALLUP (11-16), 7 P.M.
The season has already been an overwhelming success for the Jaguars, who won seven of their final eight, including two defeats of nemesis Española Valley. But the team is certainly looking for a deep run into the tournament behind offensive stalwarts Jeremy Anaya (12.3) and Tyler Alarid (12.1). The Bengals are looking to reverse a two-game losing skid.
NO. 4 ESPAÑOLA VALLEY (20-8) VS. DEL NORTE (13-14), 7 P.M.
Fighting through adversity is just a way of life for the Sundevils, who have had an interim coach all season and had a junior-varsity player booted from the program
after being suspected of involvement in a shooting. Española has also lost two of its past three games, both to rival Capital, so the squad figures to be in an ornery mood. That means the Knights could be in for a long night, since the Sundevils won all three games against them this season.
NO. 14 LOS ALAMOS (13-14) AT NO. 3 FARMINGTON (25-3), 6 P.M.
Losers of three of the past four, the Hilltoppers are looking to rebound against a team that it lost to by 16 earlier in the season. Los Alamos will have to get it done with defense because it is averaging less than 41 points a game, led by Antonio Trujillo (9.40).
4A
NO. 4 ROBERTSON (16-8) VS. NO. 13 SANDIA PREP (13-14), 6:30 P.M.
The deepest and perhaps most star-crossed district sends on four teams, all of which have potential to do some damage. The Cardinals soared above all the noise behind Kasean Pryor (19.0) and Arjay Ortiz (14.5). The bracket makers, however, potentially set up a tasty quarterfinal matchup with crosstown rival West Las Vegas, which won both times they met on the court, although one was turned into a forfeit for illegal taping.
NO. 5 WEST LAS VEGAS (18-8) VS. NO. 12 RUIDOSO (15-14), 5 P.M.
As goes D.J. Bustos — the state’s all-time leading scorer — so go the Dons, most of the time. WLV is still smarting from losing four district games to forfeit and tried to make up for that with a successful run through the 2-4A tournament. But after reaching the title game the past two seasons, only to lose to Hope, the Dons are looking for one last hurrah in their star’s final games.
NO. 6 POJOAQUE VALLEY (16-12) VS. NO. 11 MORIARTY (14-13), 4 P.M.
The underrated Elks could be a sneaky pick to do significant damage and they already own a 24-point, neutral-site victory over the Pintos. Pojoaque has some size in the senior trio of James Garcia (6-4), Tevin Flowers (6-3) and Dominic Roybal, along with the usual complement of outside sharpshooters.
NO. 7 ST. MICHAEL’S (14-14) VS. NO. 10 WINGATE (15-12), 3 P.M.
This is an atypical Horsemen squad in that it is stumbling into the state tournament having lost four of six — and one of those wins was a forfeit. But opponents can still count on St. Mike’s to employ its typical methodical pace offensively to create open looks and smothering defense.
3A
NO. 1 PECOS (25-1) VS. TUCUMCARI (8-16), 6 P.M.
The Panthers have zipped through the season with barely a blemish, with only a season-opening loss to West Las Vegas marring the record. As a matter of fact, Pecos hasn’t even had a close game since beating Santa Rosa 49-48 on Dec. 30. Juniors Mario Archuleta (17.2) and Carlos Cordova (16.7) help the offense average more than 70 points a game.
2A
NO. 8 ESCALANTE (20-8) VS. NO. 9 DORA (17-11), 4:30 P.M.
The Lobos will be looking to pound it inside to 6-2 Aaron Rendon, but he will face a significant challenge from the Coyotes’ 6-5 Xavier Gramzow, who averaged 12.5 points and 11.0 rebounds.