Eagles Prepare for Conference Season
Northern New Mexico will see this week if their difficult schedule to start the year will pay off as they begin conference play.
The Eagles, who play in NAIA, are currently 1-10 and on a nine-game losing streak after facing Division I and Division II NCAA teams for much of the start of the season.
Their most recent game was a 75-62 loss to Fort Lewis (4-1) where they started to battle back after falling behind by 11 points in the first five minutes and by 25 points at halftime.
Malek Malual led Northern with 20 points in the game, and three other players scored 10.
On Nov. 25, the Eagles lost 93-52 to Division-II Lubbock Christian (4-3), as the Chaparrals made 17 3-pointers. Malual scored 13 for the Eagles, and Nigel Quaynor had 11.
Northern heads to the Haskell Tournament in Kansas this weekend for their first weekend of conference play. They face Bacone on Wednesday in their first game, and then on Thursday play against host Haskell Indian Nations (2-7). The Eagles also play against non-conference opponent Arizona Christian (6-1) on Saturday.
Escalante Starts HS Basketball Year
The Lobos became the first Rio Arriba team to tip off the basketball season on Monday with games against Estancia just a week after the formal start to the practice season.
Escalante’s boys team (1-0) had a great start to the year, taking down Estancia (0-1) on the road 80-43.
The Lobos jumped out to a big lead early, leading 25-12 in the first quarter and 47-20 at halftime, and kept strong through the second half to win by 37 points.
Jayden Salazar led the Lobos with 19 points, and Greysen Horan scored 17. RJ Trujillo, in his first game on varsity, scored 15 points off the bench.
The girls team, down almost all of its leading scorers from last year, struggled in its first game, losing 43-17 on the road to start the year. The Lady Lobos are looking for a third-straight trip to the state championship game.
Escalante’s boys team plays against Tohatchi after press deadline on Tuesday. The girls team next plays on Dec. 5 against Los Alamos.