Hoops highlights
A roundup of boys and girls basketball in the Rio West region
The Cleveland boys basketball team is off to a 5-0 start this season.
The Storm has gone 3-0 since last weekend, beating Carlsbad 68-54, destroying Clovis 81-26 and routing West Mesa 83-54.
Cleveland had games this weekend with El Paso Irvin and Los Lunas, and travels to Las Cruces and Oñate next weekend.
Cibola (4-1), after a win Thursday over Mayfield in the first round of the Joe Armijo Classic at Albuquerque Academy, met Hope Christian late Friday in the Armijo semifinals. The Huskies are the only team to have beaten the Cougars.
Rio Rancho had a solid 70-53 win Thursday over Las Cruces in the first round of the Artesia tournament, and the Rams were meeting Carlsbad late Friday in the semifinals. The Rams earlier this week defeated Gallup, 81-58.
Valley’s boys (2-2) fell 69-49 to Roswell on Thursday in the first round of the Hub City event in Belen. The Vikings played Los Alamos on Friday in the consolation bracket.
West Mesa (1-3) earned its first win last Saturday, 66-37 over Academy. The Mustangs met Los Lunas on Friday, at Cleveland’s four-team round-robin.
Volcano Vista on Thursday night won its first game, 70-48 over Sandia, as senior forward David Cormier returned to the team. Cormier had said during the football playoffs that he would bypass basketball this season but had a change of heart, Hawks coach Greg Brown said.
St. Pius (3-1) is playing four games this week. The Sartans fell 53-50 to Highland on Tuesday, but came back Thursday and took down Mesilla Valley 61-54 in the first round of the Sandia Prep Invitational. The Sartans were playing in the semifinals late Friday.
Bernalillo (2-3) is also at the Hub City, and the Spartans downed El Paso on Thursday in the first round. Earlier this week, Bernalillo was beaten 50-47 by Miyamura.
Bosque School remains winless in eight games.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: The team in the area off to the most impressive start is West Mesa (4-1), which beat defending state champion Volcano Vista 49-39 on Tuesday night. The Mustangs take on Del Norte today. Cibola and Cleveland won first-round games at the Armijo tournament at Academy on Thursday and had semifinal games Friday against Hope and La Cueva.
The Cougars (4-2) beat Los Alamos 62-34 on Thursday. Last weekend, Cibola split a pair of games in Las Cruces, losing to Mayfield but defeating Centennial.
The Storm (4-2) beat the host Chargers 42-37 on Thursday. Last weekend, Cleveland finished third at the Gallup tournament, beating the host Bengals in the thirdplace game.
Volcano Vista (3-2) has lost two straight after the setback at West Mesa; the Hawks met Highland late Friday. Volcano Vista split two games at home against Las Cruces schools last weekend, beating Oñate but losing Saturday to Las Cruces High.
Rio Rancho (1-3) won its first game of the season Thursday against Valencia in the first round of the Rams’ Mel Otero Invite. The Rams faced Centennial in the semifinals late Friday.
Valley, at 0-6, lost a pair of games last weekend in Las Cruces, to Centennial and Mayfield, and fell Tuesday night to Del Norte.
St. Pius is 5-0 after edging Cobre on Thursday in the first round of the Alice King Invitational in Moriarty. The Sartans played Atrisco Heritage on Friday in the semifinals; one more victory and St. Pius will have matched its win total (six) from the 2015-16 season.
Bosque’s girls (2-3) met Hot Springs late Friday. The Bobcats went 1-1 last weekend, knocking off Evangel Christian but losing to Coronado.
Bernalillo (0-7) is still looking for its first win. The Spartans lost to Pojoaque Valley on Thursday at the Alice King and were taking on Estancia in the consolation bracket Friday.