50 Things we learned from this season?

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MELROSE WINS THIRD TITLE IN FOUR SEASONS

FINAL SCORE
#5 MELROSE 54
#2 FORT SUMNER 50

RECAP
The old Highway 60 rivalry between the two took a Buffalo turn this postseason. After dropping their first two games against the Foxes this season by a combined 7 points, Melrose avenged those losses by winning the district championship by four. Then the two teams met in the state Class 1A final where Melrose took win number two for another championship. This time the state championship.

Fort Sumner is known for those long bombs from beyond the arc but this game would prove those bombs to be duds. Starting the opening quarter Fort Sumner was 0-for-6 from deep. Meanwhile, Melrose using their size in Devon Bailey and Tate Sorgan helped put the Buffs' ahead early. Guard Dylan Valentine did a good job establishing himself as a threat from the arc with 2-for-2 shooting in the first half. It didn't take long though for Fort Sumner's number one scoring option in Jude Segura to find some rhythm when he scored 8 of his 22 in the second quarter. Suddenly, Fort Sumner was back in the game and Melrose was in danger of losing control of the pace of the game. After halftime, where Melrose took a 28-19 lead, Fort Sumner would outscore the Buffs' 17-9 to trail by only one point late. The fourth quarter proved to be just as interesting but again, Fort Sumner's three point shooting was not present. When the opportunity presented itself late, Fort hit one three by Segura before the game wrapped. Fort would finish with a dismal 5-of-35 shooting for 14% from the field. Meanwhile, Melrose did sort of hit free throws late to maintain the lead, despite giving Fort ample opportunities to get back in the game. Melrose did just enough behind the efforts of their guards Valentine, Tristan Sena, and Trace Jackson. This is Melrose's 6th state title, their third in four seasons, and first back-to-back state titles since their 1992 and 1993 run.

TEAM STATS

MELROSE
FG% - 17/47 - 36%
3PT% - 5/11 - 45%
FT% - 15/37 - 41%

4 steals, 62 rebounds, 3 blocks
19 turnovers
22 points in the paint
2 fastbreak points
2 bench points

FORT SUMNER
FG% - 20/73 - 27%
3PT% - 5/35 - 14%
FT% - 5/7 - 71%

9 steals, 45 rebounds, and 1 block
8 turnovers
22 points in the paint
10 fastbreak points
9 bench points

PLAYER STATS

MELROSE

Dylan Valentine - 15 points and 12 rebounds
Tate Sorgen - 12 points and 11 rebounds
Tristan Sena - 10 points and 10 rebounds
Trace Jackson - 9 points and 3 rebounds
Devon Bailey - 6 points and 5 rebounds
Chazz McAlister - 2 points and 5 rebounds

FORT SUMNER

Jude Segura - 22 points and 12 rebounds
Noah Maxwell - 10 points and 5 rebounds
Jayden Terrell - 5 points and 2 rebounds
Cory Terrell - 5 points and 6 rebounds
Alex Moyer - 4 points and 4 rebounds
Kane Burney - 4 points and 4 rebounds

PECOS RUNS AWAY WITH 3RD CONSECUTIVE STATE TITLE

FINAL
#1 Pecos 58
#3 Newcomb 37

RECAP
A "shakey" Pecos team finally came alive offensively against a small, but quick Newcomb in the first game of championship Saturday. In the first two minutes we saw some fast paced action with basket exchanges. But it was apparent that Newcomb was struggling making clean looks at the hoop. From the moment it was last tied at 4-4, Pecos made their baskets count running to a 16-9 first quarter lead they would not give up. And 11-7 second quarter gave way to a 27-16 lead that Newcomb could have still come back on, but off their forced turnovers couldn't make a basket from the field or the line. Another big third quarter by Pecos put essentially put the game away as Pecos increased their margin to near 20-points.
For Newcomb they didn't hit their first triple until 30 seconds left in the game when a pair of senior players off the bench hit two threes. Pecos now wraps up a brilliant three-peat that could possibly extend to a four-peat as only two seniors graduate this loaded roster.

TEAM STATS

PECOS
FG% - 23/57 - 40%
3PT% - 3/18 - 17%
FT% - 9/12 - 75%

21 turnovers
11 steals, 2 blocks, and 49 rebounds

36 points in the paint
26 fastbreak points
9 bench points

NEWCOMB
FG% - 14/57 - 25%
3PT% - 2/24 - 8%
FT% - 9/12 - 75%

19 turnovers
12 steals, 1 block, 41 rebounds

12 points in the paint
6 fastbreak points
16 bench points

PLAYER STATS

PECOS
Xavier Padilla - 22 points on 9 of 17 shooting plus 7 rebounds

Ismael Villegas - 12 points on 6 of 12 shooting plus 11 rebounds

Anthony Armijo - 9 points on 3 of 11 shooting plus 4 rebounds and 4 assists

NEWCOMB
Deion Johnhat - 10 points on 4 of 14 shooting and 11 rebounds

Shannon Bitsilly - 8 points on 2 of 9 shooting plus 3 rebounds

Deondre Begay - 7 points on 3 of 11 shooting plus 3 rebounds

David Patterson RR wins the award

Give me your outlook for next year as I figure who to rank where and release them later this coming week.

SECOND HALF DEFENSIVE COMEBACK LIFTS TATUM OVER MELROSE

FINAL SCORE
#2 Tatum 57
#1 Melrose 48

RECAP
It was a first half that went back and forth in quite the physical bout. Both teams haven't met all season but it only a matter of whether the basketball gods would give us the key 1A match this season. Melrose was the offensive generator, getting big baskets off the block and attacking the interior of the Tatum defense. Tatum on the other hand, while much like Melrose, wasn't shooting particulary well from distance and was only able to generate offense by way of the free throw line. The Lady Coyotes boast some of the best and quickest athletes in the class but they were stymied by the Melrose size on the boards. At the break, Tatum trailed by six. At the started of the third quarter, Melrose went on a run and got a comfortable 10-point lead at 32-22. From there, it was all Tatum. Tatum's Maddy Rice and Celeste Jimenez lead a comeback that included a 19-2 run that stunned the Lady Buffs' of Melrose. While Tatum took the lead, Melrose wasn't able to find that clean offensive rhythm they had in the first half. Melrose struggled to make baskets and turnovers that Tatum turned into points didn't help either. While Melrose had opportunities at the line to get back in the game, they couldn't overcome the Tatum lead. This is back-to-back state titles for Tatum after they won one last year in former Class 2A.

TEAM STATS

TATUM
FG% - 10/33 - 30%
3PT% - 3/17 - 18%
FT% - 34/42 - 81%

29 rebounds, 11 steals, and 3 blocks
12 points in the paint
0 bench points
4 fastbreak

MELROSE
FG% - 16/41 - 39%
3PT% - 1/12 - 8%
FT% - 15/35 - 43%

47 rebounds, 7 steals, and 0 blocks
28 points in the paint
12 fast break points
7 bench points

PLAYER STATS

TATUM
Celeste Jimenez - 21 points on 3 of 10 shooting including 14 of 18 from the line plus 4 rebounds

Abigail Duran - 13 points on 3 of 9 shooting plus 7 rebounds

Maddy Rice - 13 points on 2 of 6 shooting including 9 of 10 from the line plus 3 rebounds

Taylor Graham - 10 points on 2 of 6 shooting plus 2 rebounds

MELROSE
Hailey Martin - 21 points on 7 of 9 shooting plus 10 rebounds

Brette DeVaney - 7 points on 1 of 5 shooting plus 7 rebounds and 3 assists

Anjalina Sanchez - 7 points on 2 of 5 shooting plus 3 rebounds

Shannon May - 6 points on 3 of 7 shooting plus 11 rebounds

Nataley Mondragon - 5 points on 2 of 10 shooting plus 4 assists

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP (MARCH 16TH) - BOYS
2A Boys: #1 Pecos 58, #3 Newcomb 37 - RECAP

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LOS LUNAS CAPTURES SECOND STRAIGHT TITLE; FOURTH TITLE IN SEVEN SEASONS

FINAL
#2 Los Lunas 49
#1 Kirtland Central 43

RECAP
Kirtland Central's bid for their 20th title had to take a backseat to Los Lunas' attempt at back-to-back titles a feat they had come short on twice before. Los Lunas put on a brilliant shooting in the first half shooting 5-of-7 from the three-point line while Kirtland Central shot a poor 7-of-22 from the field in the first half. Mia Guest and Natalie Jojola (both sophomores) were the primary three-point threat tonight and made them count as both accounted for all of Los Lunas' three-pointers made. The second half rally for KC was short-lived as their deficit doubled by the end of the quarter. Turnovers were exchanged as Kirtland Central made mini-rallies that Los Lunas quelled with big time steals and baskets. The back-to-back 2nd and 3rd quarters for Los Lunas doomed KC and although they had the opportunities, they couldn't convert when it mattered. Los Lunas ensured they accounted for all of KC's shooters through much of the game and in the end, it was only the close lay-ins late that got KC within single digits. Los Lunas now claims their fourth title in seven seasons.

TEAM STATS

LOS LUNAS
FG% - 17/28 - 61%
3PT% - 7/13 - 54%
FT% - 8/17 - 47%

8 steals, 25 rebounds, and 1 block
22 turnovers
9 fast break points (KC: 5)
19 bench points (KC: 18)

KIRTLAND CENTRAL
FG% - 17/42 - 38%
3PT% - 4/18 - 22%
FT% - 7/10 - 70%

10 steals, 24 rebounds, 0 blocks
19 turnovers
22 points in the paint (though most of those were in the final minute)

PLAYER STATS

LOS LUNAS
Mia Guest - 15 points on 5 of 9 shooting
Natalie Jojola - 12 points on 4 of 4 shooting (no FTs) and 5 rebounds and 3 assists
Jaidyn Schollander - 7 points on 3 of 4 shooting
Marissa Weldon, Dani Ross, and Feleena Candelaria each added 4 points

KIRTLAND CENTRAL
Aubrey Thomas - 9 points on 4 of 7 shooting plus 2 rebounds
Siigrid Lii'bilnaghahi - 7 points on 3 of 4 shooting plus 6 rebounds
Tiajhae Nez - 6 points on 3 rebounds and 2 assists
Jaymie Smart and Avery Begay both added 5 points each

NEWCOMB TOPS MESILLA VALLEY IN STUNNING COMEBACK

FINAL SCORE
#3 Newcomb 50
#7 Mesilla Valley 48

RECAP
From the get-go it was apparent this was not an opponent Mesilla Valley would want to run with nor was this a team Newcomb could easily run-and-gun with. In a great game that featured some great half-court execution and grit, Newcomb came out on top after facing a double-digit deficit late.

Mesilla Valley immediately took control with a 7-2 lead early. After which Newcomb went on a 7-3 run of their own. Mesilla Valley seemed to keep just ahead of Newcomb with some quality execution. Newcomb, just the same, found some brilliant shot-making to stay with the Sonblazers early. In the second quarter, MVC jumped out to a 6-point lead but Newcomb would again make a run. The Skyhawks would close out the quarter with a 10-4 run to tie it up at the break.

In the third quarter, much of the same as Mesilla Valley would jump out to a big lead or in this case a short-lived ten point lead that resulted in a quick series of baskets for both teams. As the third wrapped, Mesilla Valley was leading 41-32. In the fourth, Newcomb started slowly climbing back into the game. As soon as Newcomb got within two though, Mesilla Valley answered with a timely basket. As the lead extended back to five, one half of the Newcomb twins, Deondre Begay went on a scoring spree to get Newcomb back within one. Turnovers by Mesilla Valley were mounting and Newcomb was making them pay for them. With 2 minutes left, Begay split a pair of free throws to tie the game. On the next possession MVC had a clean look at a three but missed and Newcomb rebounded for an opportunity at the last shot. With 44.4 left and out of their timeout, Newcomb worked the clock down and in the final seconds Deion Johnhat found a cutting Deondre Begay for the go-ahead layup with 1.8 seconds left. Mesilla Valley was able to get one last look but couldn't get a shot off in time. Newcomb advances to their first ever state championship at 8:00AM on Saturday.

TEAM STATS

Newcomb
FG% - 22/53 - 42%
3PT% - 4/12 - 33%
FT% - 2/4 - 50%

6 steals and 27 rebounds
5 turnovers
30 points in the paint
10 fastbreak points and 6 points off the bench

Mesilla Valley
FG% - 15/38 - 39%
3PT% - 5/18 - 28%
FT% - 13/18 - 72%

3 steals and 34 rebounds
13 turnovers
20 points in the paint
2 fastbreak points and 0 points off the bench

PLAYER STATS

Newcomb
Deondre Begay - 20 points on 9 of 17 shooting plus 5 rebounds and 3 assists
Deontay Begay - 8 points on 3 of 7 shooting
Kelkenny Watchman - 8 points on 3 of 9 shooting plus 6 rebounds
Shannon Bitsilly - 6 points on 3 of 5 shooting plus 5 rebounds

Mesilla Valley
Noah Coyle - 23 points (11 of 11 from the line) and 12 rebounds
Nolan Nunley - 8 points on 4 of 9 shooting plus 6 rebounds
Brayden Wells - 7 points and 7 rebounds
Michael Johnson - 7 points

Final Four Reactions and Takeaways

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ROBERTSON DOMINATES SANTA FE INDIAN TO WIN FIRST BASKETBALL STATE TITLE

FINAL SCORE
#1 Robertson 62
#2 Santa Fe Indian 46

RECAP
It started years ago for Robertson. After pushing state champion Shiprock to overtime two season ago, losing a tough quarterfinal last season, and then making noise this summer by playing in large school divisions against the state's 5A and 4A classes, Robertson built this run with a core of steller athletes. It took almost the entire season for Robertson to finally lose a game to a New Mexico school (Tucumcari and eventually Santa Fe Indian). Their size up front with the Jenkins sisters, Jazmyne and Jayden, the guards Gabriela Trujillo and Tessa Ortiz, and the all-around best girls basketball player to come out of Robertson in Alianza Darley was just too much of a mismatch for Class 3A.

It started off slow but Robertson eventually got its footing and began play over the top of the Santa Fe Indian defense. Darley and Jenkins did outstanding passing out of double teams to the open teammate at or near the hoop while also attacking the offensive boards and getting numerous second chance opportunities in the form of buckets or free throw attempts.

Santa Fe Indian has one of their worst shooting performances, going 6 for 25 in the opening half of play that led to the 32-15 deficit. Santa Fe Indian did manage to outscore Robertson by 1 in the third quarter but the damage was done. A rotation and a mini-run later, they managed to cut the lead to 12 but SFIS couldn't follow with making baskets when the opportunities presented themselves while also having to send Robertson to the line. Robertson shot 12 free throws the 4th making only half of their attempts.

Robertson closed out the game and with a packed arena claimed their first ever basketball state championship (for boys or girls).

TEAM STATS

ROBERTSON
FG% - 23/51 - 45%
3PT% - 3/11 - 27%
FT% - 13/23 - 57%

11 steals, 40 rebounds, and 4 blocks
12 turnovers
36 points in the paint (SFIS: 14)
10 fastbreak points (SFIS: 4)

SANTA FE INDIAN
FG% - 15/46 - 33%
3PT% - 7/18 - 39%
FT% - 9/14 - 64%

7 steals, 34 rebounds, and 3 blocks
19 turnovers
8 bench points (RHS: 6 points)

PLAYER STATS

ROBERTSON

Alianza Darley - 27 points on 11 of 14 shooting (4 of 6 from the line) and 9 rebounds plus 3 assists

Jazmyne Jenkins - 12 points on 4 of 12 shooting (3 of 7 from the line) and 7 rebounds

Tessa Ortiz - 12 points on 3 of 12 shooting (6 of 7 from the line)

Shayla Hillis - 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists

SANTA FE INDIAN

Hunter Garcia - 14 points on 4 of 6 shooting including 5 of 5 from the line plus 2 rebounds and 2 assists

Leanna Lewis - 8 points on 2 of 7 shooting plus 5 rebounds

Iris Emery - 8 points on 3 of 10 shooting plus 3 rebounds

Marlena Yazzie - 6 points on 2 of 10 shooting plus 6 rebounds and 3 assists

Top Players from the Final Four

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PECOS SURVIVES TEXICO SCARE IN OVERTIME

FINAL SCORE
#1 Pecos 73
#4 Texico 67

RECAP
It was and then it wasn't then it was and finally wasn't. The Texico upset bid came close several times but that was only after they trailed their district rival Pecos by double-digits on several occasions. Every time Pecos would get out on big lead, Texico would claw their way back into the game.
12-6 deficit cut to 12-11
42-27 cut to 44-42
54-44 cut to 56-54.
A big part for Pecos' success was the efforts of junior Ismael Villegas who ended up finishing with 27 points. The shooting of Omar Dominguez, Anthony Armjio, and Issac Gonzales proved to be costly for Texico. Those two factors and the play making of Xavier Padilla was what kept Pecos in the lead for the majority of the game.
On the Wolverines' end, senior standout Dalton Thatcher was limited to one made field goal through the first half. The third quarter he landed two shots and from there he would lead the Wolverines on the comeback with 20 points. Skylar Davis and Luke Phipps could help in several comeback attempts on the boards and combining for 28 points.
The game would conclude in overtime where a costly technical foul would kill the Texico momentum and provide a four point cushion for Pecos that they would not give up.
Pecos moves on to the championship game where they hope to win their 3rd straight state championship. Game is set for Saturday at 8AM.

TEAM STATS

PECOS
FG% - 29/53 - 55%
3PT% - 10/19 - 53%
FT% - 5/10 - 50%

7 steals
15 turnovers
28 rebounds and 21 assists
17 fast break points (Texico: 10)

TEXICO
FG% - 26/55 - 47%
3PT% - 4/18 - 22%
FT% - 11/19 - 58%

10 steals and 4 blocks
16 turnovers
38 rebounds and 9 assists
9 bench points (Pecos: 2)

PLAYER STATS

PECOS
Ismael Villegas - 27 points (12/17 FG and 3/5 FT) plus 12 rebounds and 2 assists

Xavier Padilla - 16 points (6/8 FG, 3/3 3PT FG) plus 6 rebounds and 7 assists

Omar Dominguez - 11 points on 4 of 13 shooting including 3 of 7 from the arc

Issac Gonzales - 9 points on 3 of 4 shooting (2/2 from 3PT)

Anthony Armjio - 8 points on 3 of 10 shooting plus 9 assists

TEXICO

Dalton Thatcher - 20 points on 8 of 18 shooting (2 of 2 from the line) plus 4 rebounds and 4 assists

Skyler Davis - 15 points on 6 of 15 shooting plus 13 rebounds

Luke Phipps - 13 points on 4 of 6 shooting including 5 of 9 from the line.

2019 NEW MEXICO HIGH SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT

Players: Top Performances from the 1st Round
Preview: What to Watch in the 1st Round

5A Bracket
Bracket
5A-1A: Elite Eight Breakdown
5A First Round Team Capsules
5A Bracket Breakdown
5A First Round Predictions
5A Starting Five. Top Players to Watch at State

4A Bracket
Bracket
5A-1A: Elite Eight Breakdown
4A First Round Team Capsules
4A Bracket Breakdown
4A First Round Predictions
4A Starting Five. Top Players to Watch at State

3A Bracket
Bracket
5A-1A: Elite Eight Breakdown
3A Bracket Breakdown
3A First Round Team Capsules
3A First Round Predictions

2A Bracket
Bracket
5A-1A: Elite Eight Breakdown
2A Bracket Breakdown

1A Bracket
Bracket
5A-1A: Elite Eight Breakdown
1A Bracket Breakdown