Boys basketball

What happened: The 2024 portion of the Blue Griffins’ schedule has gotten off to a great start as they roared into the championship game of the Gallup Invitational after pasting the Class 5A Panthers on Friday. Prep scored the first 18 points of the first quarter before giving up a last-second 3-pointer. The margin grew to 32-9 at the half and 47-16 heading into the fourth. “That was incredible defense we played in the first quarter,” Blue Griffins head coach Joe Vigil said.

Top players: Van Anderson led a quartet of double-digit scorers for Prep with 18 points. Morgan Field added 14, while Mitch Grover and Kiran Belyeu each had 10.

What’s next: Prep (4-3) plays El Paso Cathedral in the championship Saturday.

What happened: The Cardinals made it eight straight wins with a thrilling win over the Elks in the second game of the Portales Shootout round-robin tournament. After trailing 23-18 after a quarter, Robertson stepped up its defensive intensity, allowing Pojoaque just 24 points over the next two quarters to take a 50-47 lead into the third. The Elks used three 3-pointers in the fourth to stay close, but the Cardinals held on for the win.

Top players: Jesse James Gonzales had 21 points to lead Robertson, while Mateo Contreras and Esteban Medina each added 11 and Nathaniel Gonzales had 10. Dalian Lopez scored eight of his 14 points in the fourth quarter for Pojoaque, Luke Pacheco chipped in with 11 and Deondro Lopez added 10.

What’s next: Robertson (10-1) plays the host Rams on Saturday evening, while the Elks (6-7) face Lovington in an afternoon game.