Repeat: Hobbs, Volcano Vista in final
It’s the fourth straight time they meet for title
The Hobbs and Volcano Vista girls basketball teams are going to share Bob King Court on the final day of the season.
This is a recording.
The top-seeded Eagles and thirdseeded Hawks will meet for the Class 5A state championship for the fourth consecutive season following semifinal victories on Thursday at the Pit.
Hobbs overcame La Cueva in a gritty and controversial game, while Volcano Vista cruised past Las Cruces, setting up a 2 p.m. showdown Saturday at the Pit.
Hobbs is in the final for the sixth straight season.
“Six in a row. Holy crap,” Eagles coach Joe Carpenter said, shaking his head. “It’s unbelievable.”
Volcano has beaten Hobbs in each of the last two title games.
No. 1 HOBBS 44, No. 5 LA CUEVA 42: The Eagles (27-3) advanced with a come-from-behind victory over the Bears (23-8), who were leading most of the way.
Freshman Aliana Armitage of Hobbs scored the game-winner for the Eagles, driving the length of the floor for a layup with 5.5 seconds left to break a 42-all tie.
Karleigh Gutierrez for La Cueva had tied the game with a layup of her own with 15.8 seconds remaining. Armitage took the inbounds pass and darted down the floor, to the rack, and won the game. It was her only field goal.
After the basket, La Cueva had five seconds with which to work, but turned the ball over with 1.2 seconds remaining.
Both teams were down multiple starters at the finish, due to fouls and one sequence that hung over the final result.
With 4:37 left, and La Cueva leading 34-33, the Bears’ Eva Love (who had scored 11 points) and Hobbs’ Kyndle Cunningham (who had scored 10) both were ejected on what the officials deemed to be a double
technical, and flagrant, foul.
“It felt like we had to win it,” Armitage said, “especially for Kyndle.”
Carpenter said he would appeal to the New Mexico Activities Association to get Cunningham’s flagrant foul vacated, which would allow her to play on Saturday.
“This one was really different,” Carpenter said, speaking of the victory and not the aforementioned play. “We played 11 kids, and I don’t think I’ve ever done that in a tight game.”
La Cueva led by as many as nine points in both halves. Hobbs’ aggressiveness allowed it to get to the free-throw line in abundance as it slowly came back. The Eagles were 21 of 33 from the stripe, compared to 10 of 16 for La Cueva.
Alexis Ayers and Love both scored 11 for the Bears. Ayers was outstanding, adding four steals, two assists and five rebounds. Bhret Clay’s 14 points led Hobbs.
No. 3 VOLCANO VISTA 56, No. 7 LAS CRUCES 35: The Hawks (27-3) put together a workmanlike effort and performed very much like a team who is familiar with the Pit and the high stakes.
Las Cruces (22-9) was chasing its first-ever appearance in a championship game. But the Bulldawgs had no answer — as is the case with most teams — for Volcano Vista 6-foot junior forward Taejhuan Hill, who finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds.
“Her former teammates and her teammates today, know that in ‘TT’ we trust,” Hawks coach Lisa Villareal said.
An 8-0 second-quarter run, including 3-pointers from Jade Lovato and Mila Espinoza, put the Hawks in front for good at 20-13. The Bulldawgs trailed by five at halftime (20-15), and never got closer than that.
“We just had to focus and lock in and do what we know how to do,” said Hill.
Lila Ashida had 13 points and six rebounds for Las Cruces. Point guard Emma Christiano missed about 10 minutes of game action with foul trouble.
“When she went out of the game,” Villareal said, “we were able to up the pressure a little bit.”
Lilliana Duncan added 10 points for Volcano Vista, including a pair of 3s.
“I think we made a name for ourselves while we were here,” Las Cruces coach Lori Selby said.