Your playing days?

Winner gets the first blue trophy in their school history

Was out at the complex all weekend and from what I heard the Metro Tournament wont be able to play there because softball didn’t want to play there because the softball batters boxes are different than baseball. Is that true about the boxes? Since the girls can’t play there...now the boys can’t.

Championship at Atrisco now. The complex is better than any place I have been and the staff out there is great!

How many football coaches also coach basketball and will be coaching this week?

Top Performances

TOP PERFORMANCES - QUARTERFINALS

Taymon Burrola - Roswell - 25 points, 4 assist vs Belen
Garrett Gallegos - Belen - 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assist vs Roswell.
Ryan Garcia - Belen - 15 points, 22 rebounds vs Roswell.
Uriah Zengerly - Belen - 13 points, 4 rebounds vs Roswell.
Logan Eaker - Roswell - 10 points, 6 rebounds vs Belen.
Jose Vigil - West Mesa 31 points 7 rebounds 6 assists 2 steals
Cesar Madrid - Volcano Vista - 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assist vs Cleveland.
Aamer Muhammad - Cleveland - 16 points, 3 rebounds vs VV.
Naki Smith - Cleveland - 11 points, 3 rebounds vs VV.
Dion Battle - Volcano Vista - 10 points vs Cleveland.
Jalontae Gray - Volcano Vista - 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assist vs Cleveland.
Dalton Thatcher - Texico - 17 points, 3 assist vs Dexter.
Nathan Phipps - Texico - 17 points, 11 rebounds vs Dexter.
David Miramontes - Dexter - 15 points vs Texico.
Xavier Padilla 20 points - Pecos
Mario Archuleta 12 points - Pecos
Carlos Cordova 10 points - Pecos
Caleb Edwards - Moriarty - 17 points vs Taos
Matt Soto - Moriarty - 15 points, 10 rebs vs Taos
Tristin Moore - Silver - had 28 points 7rebounds 5 assists and 4 steals against Shiprock
Darius Haywood 16 points for Los Lunas
Zanen Zeller 15 points 10 rebounds 7 assists for Los Lunas
AJ Garcia 12 points 6 rebounds for Los Lunas
Nicholas Gaerlan 11 points for Los Lunas
Bryson Dowdy 16 points 4 rebounds for Kirtland Central
Ronald Brown 23 points 14 rebounds for Las Cruces
Vincente Johnson 16 points for Las Cruces
Markus Collins 13 points 3 rebounds 3 assists for Las Cruces
Alec Finney 24 points for Hobbs
Reyes Herrera - 13 points and 7 rebounds for Bernalillo
Solomon Fragua - 12 points and 9 rebounds and 11 blocks for Bernalillo
Chris Garcia - 10 points - for Bernalillo
Thomas Wood - 10 points for St. Mikes
Jevon Montoya - 8 points for St. Mikes
Dominic Morgan - 5 points for St. Mikes
Joziah Ramos 20 points 3 rebounds 3 assists for Atrisco.
Jordan Arroyo 16 points 13 rebounds for Atrisco.
Anthony Chavez 16 points 3 rebounds for Valley
Segun Oyeku 10 points 3 rebounds for Valley
Jaden Vasquez - 10 points and 6 rebounds for Cuba
Micah Castillo - 7 points for Cuba
De'Angelo Herrera - 6 points for Cuba
Brian Lee - 6 points for Cuba
Christian Fernandez 17 points 5 rebounds 4 assists for Espanola
Ryan Trujillo 10 points 4 rebounds for Espanola
Martin Garcia 10 points for Espanola
Daniel Vigil 16 points 5 rebounds for St. Pius X
Johnnie Nitafan - 21 points on 6 of 14 shooting for Hope
Collin Evans - 15 points and 8 rebounds for Hope
Chris Ward - 11 points and 10 rebounds for Hope

Top Players Performances - First Round

Alec Finney - Hobbs - 34 points vs La Cueva.
Caleb Edwards - Moriarty - 33 points, 6 rebs, 3 assists vs West Las Vegas
Clay Stranser - Hobbs - 32 points vs La Cueva.
Tristin Moore - Silver - 28 points 3 steals 3 rebounds and 3 assists in a win against Socorro.
Jose Vigil - West Mesa - 26 points 4 rebounds 4 assists vs Manzano
Reyez Herrera - Estancia- 26 points vs Dulce
Anthony Chavez- Valley- 25 pts, 14 rebounds, 5 assists vs Albuquerque.
Randy Castillo - Albuquerque -25 points vs Valley.
Presely Nelson -Miyamura - 24 points vs Capital.
Derek Aeilts - La Cueva - 24 points vs Hobbs.
Hunter Conn - Mesilla - 23 points vs To'hajiilee.
Reyes Herrera - Bernalillo - 23 points vs Hot Springs.
Jordan Arroyo - Atrisco Heritage - 23 points vs Santa Fe.
Collin Evans - Hope Christian - 22 points 10 rebounds vs Robertson.
TJ Sanchez - Capital - 21 points vs Miyamura.
Nick Garcia - St. Pius X - 21 points vs Gallup
Aamer Muhammad - Cleveland - 20 points vs Rio Rancho
Jalen Munn - Cleveland - 19 points vs Rio Rancho.
Tyler Alarid - Capital - 19 points vs Miyamura.
Aaron Garcia - Capital - 19 points vs Miyamura.
Darius Haywood - Los Lunas - 19 points vs Goddard
Taylor Null - Artesia - 19 points vs Lovington
Marlon Cunningham - Albuquerque - 18 points vs Valley.
Chris Ward - Hope Christian -17 points vs Robertson
Jalontae Gray - Volcano Vista - 17 points vs Onate.
Vincente Johnson - Las Cruces - 17 points vs Sandia.
Cesar Madrid - Volcano Vista - 16 points vs Onate.
Tyler Quintana - Eldorado - 16 points vs Piedra Vista.
Tyler Aeilts - La Cueva - 16 points vs Hobbs
Davin Deuel - Bernalillo - 16 points vs Hot Springs.
Joe Willingham - Artesia - 16 points vs Lovington
Keshawn Banks - Rio Rancho - 16 points vs Cleveland.
Eloy Medina - West Mesa - 16 points vs Manzano.
Matt Soto - Moriarty - 15 points, 12 rebs, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks vs West Las Vegas
Dru Ulibarri - Hope Christian -14 points 19 rebounds vs Robertson.
Ishmael Martinez - Robertson - 14 points vs Hope.
Kameron Valencia - Eldorado - 14 points vs Piedra Vista.
Nakqi Smith - Cleveland - 14 points vs Rio Rancho.
Julius Vaughan - Robertson - 14 points vs Hope
Eric Sonnenberg - Manzano - 14 points vs West Mesa.
Blaine Gallegos - Rio Rancho - 13 points vs Cleveland.
Gabriel Lee - Miyamura - 13 points vs Capital.
Lawrence - La Cueva - 13 points vs Hobbs
Aron Neely - Bernalillo - 13 points vs Hot Springs.
Johnnie Nitafan - Hope Christian - 13 points vs Robertson.
Nolan Nunley - Mesilla - 12 points vs To'hajiilee.
Tyler Murphy - Moriarty - 11 points, 9 rebs, 3 assists, 1 block vs West Las Vegas
Noah Coyle - Mesilla - 11 points vs To'hajiilee.
Michael Johnson - Mesilla - 11 points vs To'hajiilee.
Jayden Phillips - Cleveland - 11 points vs Rio Rancho.
Royce Olney - Rio Rancho - 11 points vs Cleveland.
Mariano Lobato - Bernalillo - 10 points vs Hot Springs.
Izayah Ortiz - West Mesa - 10 points vs Manzano.

RECAP - #2 Fort Sumner/House uses 12 three-pointers to defeat #5 Menaul

It started off quick for Menaul jumping out to a 5-0 lead before Foxes head coach Brad Holland called timeout. Even after a Noah Maxwell three-point basket that got the Foxes back within two, Menaul would continue their opening run capped off with a Jason Huang basket to put the Panthers up 12-3. Menaul looked near flawless in transition early, including one fast break where the ball didn’t touch the floor. Fort Sumner/House though would continue to make key three-point baskets to keep the game from getting away. Menaul would take a seven point lead but Foxes’ Brant West would answer with a big basket against Menaul’s 6’9” center Michael Ou, to get Fort Sumner/House back within two points.But turnovers and poor transition defense would allow Menaul again to jump out to another big lead and this time by ten points at the break, 35-25.

Fort Sumner/House would continue their perimeter assault though as they went on a 6-0 run off two three-point baskets before Menaul would score. By midway through the quarter though, Fort Sumner had cut the lead down to two off a 10-2 run. Fort Sumner/House would tie the game at 37 before a Maxwell basket put the Foxes ahead for the first time in the game. Jude Segura would hit a big basket from distance and Fort would extend that lead to 44-39. A Noah Maxwell three-point basket would cap off a 22-point quarter for Fort Sumner/House where they knocked down five three-pointers to take the five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Menaul would get close again but costly turnovers for the Panthers on possessions when they had the opportunity to tie or cut into the deficit would be their undoing. Fort Sumner/House would close out the game behind 31-to-18 points second half and win their first co-op state championship.

*This is the second state title for Fort Sumner since 2009. The second for House since 1938. First co-op title for both schools.


PLAYER STATS

Fort Sumner/House
Brant West – 21 points on 8 of 16 shooting (5 for 10 from 3-point line) and 7 rebounds
Noah Maxwell – 19 points on 6 of 12 shooting
Jude Segura – 12 points

Menaul
Carlos Fuentes – 18 points
Michael Ou – 13 points and 13 rebounds
Dereck Pyle – 10 points


TEAM STATS

Fort Sumner/House
FG% - 18/49 – 37%
3PT% - 12/27 – 44%
FT% - 8/18 – 44%

Menaul
FG% - 19/40 – 48%
3PT% - 3/12 – 25%
FT% - 12/20 – 60%


Other Notable Stats
21 Menaul turnovers to 17 Fort Sumner/House turnovers

28 points in the paint for Menaul; 10 for Fort Sumner/House

8 fast break points for Menaul; 0 for Fort Sumner/House

ADs and coaches,


Estancia is looking to fill 2 games on the following dates:


Week 5, 9/21


Week 9 10/19


We are willing to travel both weeks to play a 2A, 3A or 4A varsity on a 2 year contract.


We would also be willing to play a larger school JV in Estancia on the 10/19 date if we cannot find a varsity.

You can contact me at 505-267-8425 or coachb58@hotmail.com or stewart.burnett@estancia.k12.nm.us

Regards,


Stewart Burnett

Estancia

6A BASKETBALL - MARCH 10TH (DREAMSTYLE ARENA)
No. 3 Atrisco Heritage vs No. 5 Cleveland, 8:00pm

5A BASKETBALL - MARCH 10TH (DREAMSTYLE ARENA)
No. 3 Belen 73, No. 1 Espanola Valley 65 - RECAP/HIGHLIGHTS

4A BASKETBALL - MARCH 10TH (DREAMSTYLE ARENA)
No. 3 Hope Christian 81, No. 1 Bernalillo 52 - RECAP/HIGHLIGHTS

3A BASKETBALL - MARCH 10TH (DREAMSTYLE ARENA)
No. 3 Pecos 58, No. 1 Texico 44 - RECAP/HIGHLIGHTS

2A BASKETBALL - MARCH 10TH (DREAMSTYLE ARENA)
No. 2 Fort Sumner vs No. 5 Menaul, 6:00pm

1A BASKETBALL - MARCH 10TH (DREAMSTYLE ARENA)
No. 1 Melrose 50, No. 2 Maxwell 37 - RECAP/HIGHLIGHTS

RECAP - #3 Hope Christian dominates for sixth consecutive title

#3 Hope Christian 81
#1 Bernalillo 52

In what was believed to be a marquee matchup of offensive powers quickly turned into a lopsided affair as Hope Christian ran their way into title number sixteen for the program. Senior forward, Chris Ward led all scorers with 27 points on 10 for 18 shooting. The undersized forward did work fearlessly attacking the rim and the larger Solomon Fragua, Bernalillo’s 6’8” center. Guard Johnnie Nitafan followed with 16 points of his own and did an outstanding job getting dribble penetration and drawing the attention of the Bernalillo defenders.

At the start, Bernalillo got out to a 3-0 lead and things looked interesting. But a steal and score by Preston Ulibarri followed by a Dockery no-look to Ulibarri in transition and it was off to the races for Hope Christian. Hope would burn through the defense and in the open court for a 17-2 through the first seven minutes of the game. Back-to-back three point shots by Reyes Herrera would slow the Hope momentum and give Bernalillo some relief to the Huskies’ run. By the end of the first, Hope Christian had a 19-12 lead on Bernalillo.

Through much of the first half, the Hope Christian front court of Collin Evans and Chris Ward hounded Bernalillo’s Fragua. Evans maintained his defensive position well keeping the ball from being passed to Fragua and Ward would stay active on the boards. It wasn’t just Fragua though that would struggle. The Huskies defensive pressure kept Bernalillo’s normally hot-shooting guards uncomfortable and shots that Bernalillo normally make rattled around or clanked off the rim. Bernalillo would struggle defensively as well as they would allow 28 points in the paint in the first half alone. Hope would lead 41-29 at the break.

By the start of third quarter it was apparent the pace that Hope wanted to play at and they wouldn’t let up. Hope would continue to push the ball in transition and score with ease or be fouled and get to the free throw line. Chris Ward would earn 13 points that quarter off transition baskets and free throw attempts. Bernalillo would find some relief that Fragua would score his first basket of the game, but a 25-to-10 point quarter for Hope Christian would put the game out of reach for Bernalillo. Bernalillo, a team that came in averaging 70 points per game was held to under 40 points through three quarters of the state championship game.

In the end, Hope Christian would come away with a 81-52 win. They would score 52 points in the paint and 29 points off the fastbreak.


PLAYER STATS

Hope Christian
Chris Ward – 27 points and 7 rebounds
Johnnie Nitafan – 16 points and 5 rebounds
Isaiah Dockery – 15 points and 4 rebounds
Preston Ulibarri – 10 points
Collin Evans – 5 points and 10 rebounds


Bernalillo
Reyes Herrera – 14 points on 4 of 13 shooting and 5 rebounds
Corvin Fragua – 8 points
Luis Villegas – 7 points
Chris Garcia - 6 points
Solomon Fragua – 4 points and 5 rebounds


TEAM STATS


Hope Christian

FG% - 31/64 – 48%

3PT% - 3/16 – 19%

FT% - 16/23 – 70%


Bernalillo

FG% - 17/54 – 31%

3PT% - 5/20 – 25%

FT% - 13/23 – 57%


Points In the Paint

Hope Christian - 52

Bernalillo – 18


Bench Points

Bernalillo – 21

Hope Christian – 8

RECAP - #1 Los Lunas Wins Third Title In Six Years

Fans were treated to quite the duel of great defensive teams on Friday night. #1 Los Lunas and #2 Bloomfield share a short two-year rivalry and it came to a fever in the 5A state championship game. Bloomfield, making their return to the title game after 34 years, gave the Lady Tigers everything they had.

It took two minutes for the first basket to finally be scored, and it was Los Lunas’ senior guard Mica Jenrette who nailed the 3-pointer to start the offensive fury for both teams. Bloomfield would go on a 6-0 run before a break in the Bloomfield press would allow Los Lunas to score midway through the first quarter. In the minutes both teams exchanged offensive shots and the first ended in favor of Bloomfield after five lead changes, 13-12.

In the second quarter, Bloomfield would extend their lead by five points but a Hayley Torres and-1 would draw Los Lunas back within two. Both teams would go back and forth forcing turnovers and getting key blocks, but neither team would get anymore points in the half. Bloomfield led 21-19 at the break in action.

In the early third, Bloomfield would score first, but a Jenrette 3-point basket would pull Los Lunas back within one. The scoring would continue for Los Lunas as Jenrette and Maya Trujillo would help retake the lead on the 8-2 run. Trujillo would be a key playmaker in the second half, as her post-moves and aggression on the offensive board would help spur the Lady Tigers. With three minutes left in the third though it would be Bloomfield guard Kimberlyn Morgan with back-to-back threes to help the Lady Bobcats retake the lead again at 33-31. A fury of baskets and by the end of the third, Bloomfield would have a 39-37 lead.

Los Lunas would jump out to a 5-0 run to take the lead off a Torres three-ball but Bloomfield would again answer on a forced turnover to take the lead back at 43-42. A Los Lunas turnover would again allow Bloomfield to extend their lead but a forced 3-point basket would rattle out and Los Lunas would get the ball back. Maya Trujillo again would get the clutch baskets inside on two straight possessions to put Los Lunas up three with just under 1:30 left in the game. In that span, Bloomfield’s two best looks were close but would roll out or rattle off and Los Lunas would grab the rebound.

A missed front-end would give Bloomfield one last chance to tie the game down three, but the 3-point attempts were blocked. With time still left Bloomfield would try to score but Jenrette would seal the game with a steal and free-throws to win, 48-43.


PLAYER STATS

Los Lunas
Mica Jenrette – 16 points on 5 of 9 shooting and 11 rebounds
Maya Trujillo – 13 points and 6 rebounds
Hayley Torres – 10 points and 5 rebounds
Natalie Jojola – 5 points


Bloomfield
Alyssa Quintana – 13 points and 8 rebounds
Mattie Waresback – 8 points
Halle Payne – 7 points
Kimberlyn Morgan – 6 points


TEAM STATS

Los Lunas
FG% - 19/46 – 41%
3PT% - 4/16 – 25%
FT% - 6/13 – 46%

Bloomfield
FG% - 18/39 – 46%
3PT% - 4/12 – 33%
FT% - 3/6 – 50%

Notable Stat Lines
22 bench points for Los Lunas

30 points in the paint for Los Lunas

Bloomfield 25 turnovers; Los Lunas 21

Bloomfield 14 steals; Los Lunas 11 steals

Who wins the 3A State Championship

***STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SCOREBOARD (MARCH 9TH/10TH)***

6A BASKETBALL - Dreamstyle Arena
No. 2 Hobbs 64, No. 1 Cibola 55 - FINAL/RECAP

5A BASKETBALL - Dreamstyle Arena
No. 1 Los Lunas 48, No. 2 Bloomfield 43 - FINAL/RECAP

4A BASKETBALL - Dreamstyle Arena
No. 1 Portales 50, No. 3 Moriarty 39 - RECAP/HIGHLIGHTS

3A BASKETBALL - Dreamstyle Arena
No. 1 Texico 48 No. 2 Tohatchi 47 - RECAP/HIGHLIGHTS

2A BASKETBALL - Dreamstyle Arena
No. 4 Fort Sumner 49, No. 3 Penasco 38 - FINAL/RECAP

1A BASKETBALL - Dreamstyle Arena
No. 1 Elida 58, No. 2 Melrose 44 - RECAP/HIGHLIGHTS

Winner takes home the blue!

a hot topic and I’ve spent my day texting with coaches and a few refs. Most say yes to video replay at the state tournament.

Should the NMAA consider this (again)?

If possible, why not?

If you have the capabilities, I think it’s a resource that will only enhance your product in my opinion.

RECAP - #1 Portales wins their 8th state championship

#1 Portales 50
#3 Moriarty 39

It’s been four years since their last title run, and this was no easier. Yes, it was against a district rival, #3 Moriarty who they had beaten three times in the regular season by double-digits each time. But as Coach Wade Fraze put it, “It’s hard to beat a great team four times.”

It took almost three minutes of game time for Portales to get on the board after Fort Lewis-commit Alyssa Adams knocked down the opening basket from three-point range. It was their reliable senior point guard, Zamorye Cox who got to the line to put the Lady Rams on the board, then after some back and forth with Moriarty, the senior hit a big three to put Portales up 7-5.

Moriarty struggled to keep Portales off the boards, as Taylor Rippee kept attacking and drawing contract on putback attempts. The junior post would finish with a game high 23 points and 10 rebounds as she put pressure on the Moriarty front. Moriarty though wouldn’t go quietly as they kept pace with Portales through three quarters. Adams, an outstanding pull-up shooter, found her shooting stroke momentarily, but found it more difficult to find clean looks with Cox keeping her cool. Instead the guard made dribble penetration plays to draw attention and double-teams and would create scoring opportunities for her teammates.

By halftime both teams were aware that neither would give any room to the other as Moriarty led 24-22. At the start of the third, an Adam’s putback and later a three-point off a steal would put the Lady Pintos up 31-24, the largest lead for Moriarty. The lead was short-lived though as Rippee would answer and make it a five-point game again off the inside basket.

Still trailing, Coach Fraze called a play that had Rippee come off a pin-down for an open three-point shot, a shot that Moriarty’s Coach Bailey admits they didn’t expect. Rippee knocked down the three and although Moriarty answered, the momentum swing was there. Rippee would score 11 of Portales’ 13 points that quarter to help retake the lead heading into the fourth, 35-33.

Coach Fraze would call for a similar play but this time for Kelly Fraze, who on back-to-back plays would knock down six points and put Portales up eight within the first minute of the fourth. It would be over five minutes before Moriarty would score again before they found themselves down 10 points with a 1:37 left to play. But the deficit was too great and Moriarty’s attempts either rattled off or they turned the ball over. Portales would outscore Moriarty 15-6 in the fourth to win their 8th state championship.

PLAYER STATS

Portales
Taylor Rippee – 23 points and 10 rebounds
Zamorye Cox – 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals
Kelly Fraze – 6 points on 2 for 4 from 3pt line.
Lindsay Blakey – 6 points on 6 for 8 shooting from the FT line (0 for 3 from the field)


Moriarty
Alyssa Adams – 21 points on 7 for 18 shooting, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists
Stephanie Ordonez – 7 points and 8 rebounds
Lydia Schmutz – 4 points
Meredith Wilson – 4 points


TEAM STATS

Portales
FG% - 11/42 – 26%
3PT% - 5/15 – 33%
FT% - 23/26 – 88%

Moriarty
FG% - 13/39 – 33%
3PT% - 3/12 – 25%
FT% - 10/11 – 91%

Portales outrebound Moriarty 38 to 23.

Winner gets a blue trophy

RECAP - #1 Elida Wins Their Eighth Consecutive Title

#1 Elida 58
#2 Melrose 44

Many will tell you that it's hard to win one state title let alone eight in a row. But the Elida Lady Tigers have become a staple in the small school divisions for the past 8 seasons. And they've won fairly convincingly in each title game. This game though proved to be a send-off to a Elida senior guard Lacy Ferguson who finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds.

Early in the game, it looked as though Melrose would be a handful as they forced two Elida turnovers and took a 5-0 lead. But a 7-0 Elida run capped off with a Ferguson three point basket would ignite the Elida offense. Melrose matched up well with the size of the Elida frontcourt, but would have trouble defending the Elida guards through much of the first half.

In the second quarter, it was a coming out party for Elida freshman Alyssa Vargas who finished with 15 points on 6 of 9 shooting. She 9th grade guard ducked and weaved through the Melrose defense, giving her defender fits on where she was on the floor. Her 11 points that quarter gave Elida the cushion they needed heading into the break up, 31-17.

After the break, Melrose did a better job keeping Ferguson in check and scoreless in the third quarter. It was the work of both Kasyn Creighton and Cambree Bargas who combined for eight points to push the Lady Tigers through the quarter and hold off a rallying Melrose. The fourth quarter Melrose would actually outscore Elida and get within nine with 3:32 left to play. But it was the down the stretch clutch play of Ferguson, who would have her own 11-point quarter, help close out the game for Elida.

PLAYER STATS

Elida
Lacy Ferguson - 22 points on 5 of 9 shooting
Alyssa Bargas - 15 points and 5 rebounds
Kasyn Creighton - 12 points and 6 rebounds
Cambree Bargas - 7 points

Melrose
Brette DeVaney - 13 points and 8 rebounds
Landry Widner - 12 points
Hailey Martin - 8 points and 12 rebounds
Nataley Mondragon - 8 points

TEAM STATS

Elida
FG% - 19/38 - 50%
3PT% - 3/5 - 60%
FT% - 17/23 - 74%

Melrose
FG% - 14/49 - 29%
3PT% - 8/21 - 38%
FT% - 8/10 - 80%

Who wins the 4A State Championship?

RECAP - #3 Hope Christian removes championship doubt; defeats #2 Silver 63-50

For one half it might've been the end of a state tournament reign (at least for one year) for Hope Christian. But an 11-0 spurt to start the third quarter gave Hope the separation they needed to keep a tough Silver team at bay to reach yet another state championship game. The Johnnie Nitafan and Tristin Moore duel flashed for moments, but it was Nitafan who lead all scorers and ultimately help clinch the win for the Huskies. Silver wasn't completely out of it though. A few late runs in the second half got them as close as five points, but they either couldn't get a good look at the hoop or Hope created a turnover and scored to get the lead back up. Three straight final four appearances and Silver's hope's were dashed yet again.

PLAYER STATS

Hope Christian
Johnnie Nitafan - 19 points
Preston Ulibarri - 15 points
Chris Ward - 11 points and 5 rebounds
Isaiah Dockery - 8 points and 3 steals
Collin Evans - 8 points and 13 rebounds

Silver
Tristin Moore - 16 points on 5 for 21 shooting
Jonathan Harris - 12 points and 9 rebounds
Sal Cruz - 12 points
Tyler Gonzales - 10 points and 5 rebounds

TEAM STATS

Hope Christian
FG% - 20/52 - 38%
3PT% - 5/21 - 24%
FT% - 18/23 - 78%

Silver
FG% - 20/56 - 36%
3PT% - 6/19 - 32%
FT% - 4/8 - 50%

Steals
Hope - 11
Silver - 10

Turnovers
Hope - 15
Silver - 14

Blocks
Hope - 5
Silver - 1

RECAP - #1 Espanola Valley escapes #5 Artesia in overtime, 63-59

Few schools in the state bring in fans like Espanola Valley does. Yet, with the raucous crowd and the #1 team to face, Artesia gave the Sundevils one hell of a fight. A battled brewed in the back and forth action early before Espanola found their shooting stroke from behind the 3-point line. Artesia would struggle to find some offensive rhythm before facing a 20-12 deficit in the second quarter. Artesia would rally a few times before halftime to get within four points but Espanola would have an answer every time before the break.
Midway through the third quarter, Artesia would creep back into the game when they would finally tie it at 39 all. They would play even just before the entering the fourth tied at 41. In a back and forth 4th quarter it was EV with a chance to win the game but the shot would fall short. Into the overtime and both teams in the shooting bonus, it was a chess match of timely steals and baskets from both ends. Espanola though would close out the game with their defensive pressure, creating Artesia turnovers and clinching the win.

PLAYER STATS

Espanola Valley
Isaiah Vigil - 15 points
JP Sena - 13 points and 11 rebounds
Christian Fernandez - 9 points
AZ Salazar - 7 points and 8 rebounds

Artesia
Joe Willingham - 23 points and 13 rebounds
Cody Smith - 15 points and 6 rebounds
Chaney Hardt - 11 points and 2 rebounds

TEAM STATS

Espanola Valley
FG% - 20/59 - 34%
3FG% - 6/18 - 33%
FT - 17/26 - 65%

Artesia
FG% - 20/47 - 43%
3FG% - 2/10 - 20%
FT% - 17/28 - 61%

What does your week 3 rankings ballot look like?

Thoughts? Which players have stood out?

Who wins the 2A State Championship