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Girls Championship
Mesa Vista 63, Dulce 47
The Lady Trojans (10-2) had to slowly grind away against a strong and pesky Dulce team (9-7), but they did just that, and built a bigger and bigger lead through the game. The Trojans held strong on defense, while Dulce couldn’t get shots to fall. It was the third win for Mesa Vista over the Hawks this year, and a repeat of last year’s NRG final. Shanae Silva led a balanced attack with 16 points. Bailey Vigil finished a strong tournament with 16 points for Dulce.
Boys Championship
Pecos 78, Escalante 46
The Panthers (9-5) dominated this game from the start, where they scored the first six points, and won their fourth-straight NRG championship. They forced Escalante (7-3) to get sped up on offense, and played patient on their end to keep the points coming. Escalante scored the first nine points of the second quarter to get within three points, but from there were unable to do anything. Escalante put in its second team for the entire fourth quarter, looking for a spark, but they were unable to keep pace as Pecos’ lead ballooned with a 23-7 advantage in the final frame. Joshua Gonzales led Pecos with 25 points
Girls 3rd Place
Pecos 68, Peñasco 66 (3OT)
The game of the day came earlier than expected. Pecos (7-6) had a shot just short at the end of regulation after a turnover by Peñasco (7-6). In overtime, Rayne Dimas hit a game-tying layup at the buzzer to go to a second extra period. Peñasco missed two free throws late in the second overtime, and Brianna Bustos tied the game for Pecos with six seconds left. In the third overtime, Natalia Stout put Pecos ahead in the final minute with a putback layup, and Peñasco missed their final shot attempt. Analiyah Armijo led Pecos in scoring with 20 points. Rochelle Lopez led Peñasco with 23. These two Panther teams rematch on Thursday.
Boys 3rd Place
McCurdy 54, Mora 52
The two third-place games wound up being the two best of the day. McCurdy (5-5) and Mora (6-4) battled all the way through the end of the game. In a tie game, Mora turned the ball over, and then Ryan Montoya drew a foul with 2.3 seconds left. He hit two free throws, part of a game-high 27 points, and sealed the victory. Lincoln Alcon led Mora with 22 points.
Girls 5th Place
Questa 53, Escalante 38
The Wildcats (8-3) led from most of the game, and when Escalante (4-8) got within three points in the third quarter, they immediately responded with nine straight points. Questa’s aggressive play caused the Lady Lobos to struggle, and Escalante couldn’t finish at the rim. Aliyah Santistevan played a big game with 24 points. Hannah Lopez led Escalante with 14.
Boys 5th Place
Mesa Vista 75, Peñasco 50
The Trojans (4-4) were clearly upset after their close first-round loss, and they took out their frustrations on the rest of the bracket, winning by 27 and 25. They went up on Peñasco (4-8) 22-7 after one quarter and by 25 points by halftime. Marcos Martinez dominated the game with six 3-pointers and 26 points in the win. Peñasco was led by Nehemiah Chavez’s 12 points.
Girls 7th Place
McCurdy 37, Mora 32
The Bobcats (3-3) came out on top in an NRG game for the first time since 2020. They started slow, with Mora (4-6) scoring the first seven points of the game, and going up 11-3 in the second quarter. But the Bobcats woke up, and went on a 23-5 run through the end of the third quarter, and closed out the victory. Freshman Amy Anaya scored 16 points to lead McCurdy to the win. Lailah Medina scored eight for Mora.
Boys 7th Place
Dulce 71, Questa 46
The Hawks (5-10) rebounded from big losses in their first two games to finish strong against Questa (3-8), going up 13-5 after the first quarter and winning by 25. Dulce should be buoyed going forward with the return of Ivan Harrison, who expects to be back from a foot injury at the start of February. Michael TeCube led Dulce with 22 points. Carlos Ortega scored 18 for Questa.