FIRST ROUND: STARTING FIVE - PLAYERS TO WATCH
Goddard's Bailey Beene vs. Silver
After once being the crucial part of a championship team, Bailey Beene has since had to grow to be the go-to option in a Goddard team that's back in tournament form. The senior Beene is often the focus for defenses, but she is such a quality passer and all-around player that it's not uncommon for her to have a low point total but still flirt with triple-doubles stat lines. She'll go down as one of the best in Goddard's program history, but for now, her and the Lady Rockets have their eyes set on a critical match-up in Silver City.
Hope Christian's Hayley Valencia vs. St. Pius X
Her decision making has yet to be on the level of her older sister, but as a sophomore with her size and strength, Valencia already shows a lot of promise. The sophomore towers along side her teammate in Savanna Lewis, and while both share similar size, it's the aggression and play-making that Hayley has that sets her apart from the roster. She's had multiple 20-point games and with that a key role in scoring against some of Hope's tougher opponents in their metro-heavy schedule.
Espanola Valley's Kaylinn Martinez vs. Pojoaque Valley
There's only a handful of pull-up shooters that can put the ball on the floor and make shots from 23 feet look as easy as senior Kaylinn Martinez. Since joining the varsity team as a freshman and working her way into the rotation as the seasons progressed, Martinez showed an exciting yet critical part of her game when Espanola has been faced with needing a basket. Sure, she might take too many shots from the arc, but I don't know if there's anyone else on the team or region that can knock down threes with a mean streak like she can.
Highland's Cailee Crawford vs. Los Alamos
Possibly the next best prospect coming out of the state, 6'1" combo-guard Cailee Crawford has all the makings to be something special. She's got the size to play on the block, and the shooting and ball-handling to be effective from beyond the arc and off the dribble. The best part of her game though is her passing. Only a sophomore her defense and aggression on the offensive end could be better, but she's so far been a valuable part of the Lady Hornets' run this season.
Los Alamos' Alex Calderon vs. Highland
I've given in to the hype surrounding the two towering forwards that Los Alamos uses most, but the reality is they don't get the ball without the likes of Alex Calderon. Don't be deceived by the size of the 5'1" senior. Calderon has a great 3-point shot that she uses often, but her best sense is pushing the ball with pace while consistently looking for one of the Los Alamos bigs to be open. Off the dribble she's quite intuitive with her passes and gets the ball to Gallegos and Green high rather than low were most defenders can get to it. She's by far the most underrated piece of this surprising Los Alamos team.
Honorable Mention
Artesia's Paityn Houghtaling vs. Portales
Houghtaling is a big part of a senior trio that leads the team in nearly every statistical category (12.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.4 spg). She's been playing varsity ball since her freshman year and this season alone has amassed 12 double-doubles including a near 20 and 20 line against St. Michael's. She has yet to have a big game against Portales, but she has the biggest responsibility in defending Portales' Taylee Rippee. She'll have to play a big part in this first round game if the Runnin' Lady Bulldogs expect to make it to the next round.
Goddard's Bailey Beene vs. Silver
After once being the crucial part of a championship team, Bailey Beene has since had to grow to be the go-to option in a Goddard team that's back in tournament form. The senior Beene is often the focus for defenses, but she is such a quality passer and all-around player that it's not uncommon for her to have a low point total but still flirt with triple-doubles stat lines. She'll go down as one of the best in Goddard's program history, but for now, her and the Lady Rockets have their eyes set on a critical match-up in Silver City.
Hope Christian's Hayley Valencia vs. St. Pius X
Her decision making has yet to be on the level of her older sister, but as a sophomore with her size and strength, Valencia already shows a lot of promise. The sophomore towers along side her teammate in Savanna Lewis, and while both share similar size, it's the aggression and play-making that Hayley has that sets her apart from the roster. She's had multiple 20-point games and with that a key role in scoring against some of Hope's tougher opponents in their metro-heavy schedule.
Espanola Valley's Kaylinn Martinez vs. Pojoaque Valley
There's only a handful of pull-up shooters that can put the ball on the floor and make shots from 23 feet look as easy as senior Kaylinn Martinez. Since joining the varsity team as a freshman and working her way into the rotation as the seasons progressed, Martinez showed an exciting yet critical part of her game when Espanola has been faced with needing a basket. Sure, she might take too many shots from the arc, but I don't know if there's anyone else on the team or region that can knock down threes with a mean streak like she can.
Highland's Cailee Crawford vs. Los Alamos
Possibly the next best prospect coming out of the state, 6'1" combo-guard Cailee Crawford has all the makings to be something special. She's got the size to play on the block, and the shooting and ball-handling to be effective from beyond the arc and off the dribble. The best part of her game though is her passing. Only a sophomore her defense and aggression on the offensive end could be better, but she's so far been a valuable part of the Lady Hornets' run this season.
Los Alamos' Alex Calderon vs. Highland
I've given in to the hype surrounding the two towering forwards that Los Alamos uses most, but the reality is they don't get the ball without the likes of Alex Calderon. Don't be deceived by the size of the 5'1" senior. Calderon has a great 3-point shot that she uses often, but her best sense is pushing the ball with pace while consistently looking for one of the Los Alamos bigs to be open. Off the dribble she's quite intuitive with her passes and gets the ball to Gallegos and Green high rather than low were most defenders can get to it. She's by far the most underrated piece of this surprising Los Alamos team.
Honorable Mention
Artesia's Paityn Houghtaling vs. Portales
Houghtaling is a big part of a senior trio that leads the team in nearly every statistical category (12.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.4 spg). She's been playing varsity ball since her freshman year and this season alone has amassed 12 double-doubles including a near 20 and 20 line against St. Michael's. She has yet to have a big game against Portales, but she has the biggest responsibility in defending Portales' Taylee Rippee. She'll have to play a big part in this first round game if the Runnin' Lady Bulldogs expect to make it to the next round.
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