Boys basketball PORTALES 39
What happened: The Elks trailed until the fourth quarter of their final game at the Portales Shootout on Saturday, when their coach’s son made his presence felt. Junior Joshua Cordova drained a pair of 3-pointers; the first gave Pojoaque the lead with less than 2 minutes left, then the second extended the lead to four late in the game. “The boys came out today and took it upon themselves to get it done,” Pojoaque head coach Ryan Cordova said.
Standouts: Joziah Salazar overcame an eye injury suffered during Friday’s 67-65 loss to Las Vegas Robertson to score a team-high 14 points, while Jordan Lopez added 13 and Serafin Mendez added 12.
What’s next: Pojoaque (7-7) goes back on the road Tuesday, playing Pecos.
What happened: The Cardinals went a perfect three-for-three at the Portales Shootout. The host Rams struggled offensively, scoring just 18 points in falling behind 32-18 at the half. Robertson turned on the defensive screws in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Rams 20-8 to put the game out of reach.
Standouts: Six-foot-5 freshman post Nathan Gonzales scored 20 points to lead the Cardinals, while Jesse James Gonzales added 12.
What’s next: Robertson (11-1) gets a well-deserved 10-day break before playing Albuquerque Bosque School on Jan. 16.
What happened: With a chance to win their first regular-season tournament in 12 years, the Blue Griffins came up just short against the Fighting Irish in the Gallup Invitational championship game. Cathedral overcame an early 12-9 deficit in the first quarter to take a 28-26 lead at the half and a 46-40 margin heading into the fourth. “It was a great game against a good Cathedral team that is very well coached,” Prep head coach Joe Vigil said. “They execute very well.”
Standouts: Mitch Grover had a team-high 28 points for the Blue Griffins, Morgan Field added 14 and Van Anderson scored 12. Diego McLellan, the tournament MVP, led the Irish with 12 points.
What’s next: Prep (5-4) play Mesa Vista at home on Tuesday.
What happened: The Dons were efficient offensively, never scoring fewer than 17 points in a quarter to pull away from the Hawks in a nondistrict game in Gillie Lopez Gymnasium. They built a 40-29 lead at the half, thanks to 18 points from P.J. Montaño, then used a 24-13 scoring run in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
Standouts: Montaño finished with 26 points to lead West Las Vegas and broke the 1,000point barrier in the process. Marcus Sena added 12 and Jonathan Gonzales scored 10.
What’s next: The Dons (10-1) play at Albuquerque St. Pius X on Jan. 18.
Girls basketball
What happened: The Hilltoppers were in control of their nondistrict matchup in Griffith Gymnasium, building a 50-34 lead heading into the fourth quarter. But the Lady Dons exploded for 27 points in the fourth quarter and made Los Alamos fans nervous. The Hilltoppers hit 8 of 14 free throws in the quarter to seal the win.
Standouts: Abigail Martinez led Los Alamos with 19 points, and GG Romero added 18. Alexis Pacheco led the Lady Dons with 27 points.
What’s next: Los Alamos (6-5) plays Capital on Tuesday. West Las Vegas (8-4) plays Clovis on Jan. 16.