Recap
The opening round of the New Mexico high school basketball state tournament delivered dominant performances, stunning upsets, and record-breaking moments as teams punched their tickets to the quarterfinals.
CLASS 5A
Top-seeded Hobbs made history in their 106-22 rout over No. 16 Piedra Vista, hitting a state-record 25 three-pointers. Nakia Mojica drained a school-record eight threes, finishing with 24 points, while Brynn Hargrove added 15 points on five triples. Bhret Clay contributed 19 points in the blowout victory. No. 2 Sandia took care of business at home, defeating No. 15 Centennial 59-42 behind 27 points from BYU commit Sydney Benally in her final game on her home court. Hope Giddings added 10 points in the win.No. 3 Mayfield secured a 61-38 victory over No. 14 Roswell, while No. 4 Farmington fended off a challenge from No. 13 Cleveland, pulling away late for a 56-48 win. The most shocking result of the night came when No. 12 Carlsbad stunned No. 5 Albuquerque High 31-29 in a defensive slugfest. No. 10 Rio Rancho delivered another upset, knocking off No. 7 Los Lunas 56-45 thanks to a breakout 24-point performance from freshman Madi Martinez, while Daysia Jack added 15 points.
In other action, No. 6 La Cueva rolled past No. 11 Las Cruces 60-41 behind 17 points from junior Jordyn Dyer. No. 8 Clovis held off No. 9 Volcano Vista in a hard-fought 51-45 battle to move on.
CLASS 4A
The Class 4A bracket featured strong showings from the top teams, with No. 1 Kirtland Central dominating No. 16 Goddard 68-23, while No. 2 Gallup dismantled No. 15 Artesia 71-35. No. 3 Portales was equally impressive, handling No. 14 Shiprock 67-28. No. 4 Valencia had little trouble against No. 13 Highland, cruising to a 59-33 win.No. 5 Albuquerque Academy took down No. 12 Silver 48-39, while No. 6 St. Pius X earned a 58-41 victory over No. 11 Pojoaque Valley. Macy Breeze led the Sartans with 18 points, while Catalina Anaya chipped in 11 and Mikaela Trujillo added 10. Pojoaque Valley’s GG Romero finished with a game-high 19 points in the loss. No. 7 Deming advanced with a 45-36 win over No. 10 Española Valley, and No. 9 Hope Christian edged No. 8 Lovington 48-44 in a tightly contested matchup.
CLASS 3A
Top-seeded Navajo Prep took care of business with a 58-36 win over No. 16 St. Michael’s. No. 2 West Las Vegas showed its offensive firepower in a 66-36 win over No. 15 Dexter, while No. 3 Santa Fe Indian put together a dominant 66-27 victory over No. 14 Ruidoso. No. 4 Robertson delivered one of the most impressive defensive performances of the night, suffocating No. 13 Sandia Prep in a 54-11 rout.In other action, No. 5 Tohatchi rolled past No. 12 Cuba 65-24. No. 7 Newcomb defeated No. 10 Tularosa 45-37, while No. 9 Crownpoint edged No. 8 Wingate 52-48. The biggest upset of the 3A bracket came from No. 11 Cobre, which took down No. 6 Thoreau in a high-scoring 79-71 thriller.
CLASS 2A
No. 1 Tatum left no doubt in its 79-42 win over No. 16 Estancia. No. 2 Mesa Vista cruised past No. 15 Hozho Academy 63-35, while No. 3 Pecos handled No. 14 Jal 55-30. The biggest shock of the 2A bracket came when No. 13 Legacy Academy stunned No. 4 Jemez Valley 61-49, just six days after losing to them by 26 points.No. 5 Tucumcari rolled past No. 12 McCurdy 54-32, and No. 7 Eunice edged No. 10 Mesilla Valley 49-42. No. 9 Laguna-Acoma pulled out a hard-fought 53-49 win over No. 8 Questa, while No. 11 Mescalero Apache upset No. 6 Texico 49-44.
CLASS 1A
No. 1 Roy/Mosquero dominated No. 16 Dora 63-24, while No. 2 Fort Sumner had little trouble with No. 15 To’hajiilee in a 65-27 win. No. 3 Melrose took care of No. 14 Pine Hill 53-31, and No. 4 Quemado survived a tough test from No. 13 Reserve, pulling out a 52-46 victory.No. 5 Magdalena cruised past No. 12 Elida 69-40, while No. 6 Cliff locked down No. 11 Gateway Christian in a 40-17 defensive showcase. No. 7 Corona/Vaughn outlasted No. 10 Logan in a thrilling 61-57 contest, and No. 9 Springer won a nail-biter over No. 8 Des Moines 66-64.
FIRST-ROUND SUPERLATIVES:
School President (Top Performance): Sydney Benally (Sandia) – 27 points in her final home game, leading the Matadors to victory.Class Vice President (Breakout Star): Madi Martinez (Rio Rancho) – The freshman stole the show with 24 points in the Rams’ upset win over Los Lunas.
Best Speech (Most Impressive Team Win): Hobbs Eagles – A record-breaking 25 three-pointers in a 106-point explosion.
Biggest Plot Twist (Upset of the Night): Legacy Academy – A complete turnaround from their previous matchup losing by 26 points just six days ago against Jemez Valley, securing a shocking win.
Best Supporting Cast: Macy Breeze, Catalina Anaya, and Mikaela Trujillo (St. Pius X) – A balanced attack in a strong win over Pojoaque Valley.
With the first round in the books, the tournament now moves to the quarterfinals, where the stakes will only get higher, and more heroes will emerge in the quest for a state championship.
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