Peñasco Girls Start District Play Hot
After a disappointing loss to Pecos on Jan. 14 ended their non-district schedule, the Lady Panthers (9-8, 2-0 in district) came out strong to the start of their District 5-2A schedule, which features three of the top teams in the state along with Escalante and Mesa Vista.
Peñasco won their first two district games by a combined score of 140-46 to take first place tied with Mesa Vista.
The Panthers dominated in an 85-17 win over McCurdy (0-13, 0-2) on Jan. 16, with Cheyenne Martinez notching a career-high 10 points — she had just 11 points entering that game in three years — along with six steals. Alyssa Atencio added six assists, while Peñasco totaled 33 assists in the game.
Three days later, the Panthers rolled past Mora (5-11, 0-2) in a 55-29 victory.
After a week off, Peñasco will face the first of two rounds against the district (and state’s) best, facing Escalante (10-7, 1-1) on Thursday on the road, and then hosting state No. 1 Mesa Vista (15-2, 2-0) on Saturday.
Bobcats Log Two Big Wins
McCurdy boys basketball (7-11, 1-1) had a strong week to put themselves in the mix for district standings entering the heart of their schedule.
On Jan. 21, the Bobcats took down Peñasco (4-11, 0-2) 61-52. Trailing 31-27 at halftime and 46-44 after the third quarter, McCurdy clamped down to outscore the Panthers 17-6 in the fourth quarter to come away with the win.
On Monday, McCurdy took another potential momentum-shifting win by beating Dulce (9-9) in a non-district game. McCurdy went up 20-9 after the first quarter and 44-27 at halftime, ultimately winning 72-61.
McCurdy continued their district schedule Tuesday after press deadline, facing Questa (2-16, 0-2) at home. They next travel to Mora (10-7, 2-0) on Thursday to face the current district leader.
Trojans Lead Coaches Poll
Mesa Vista girls basketball (15-2) widened its lead on the top spot in the New Mexico Overtime Coaches Poll, receiving 15 out of 18 first-place votes in 2A, creating a big gap over No. 2 Clayton (15-3).
The Dulce Lady Hawks (13-5) were No. 3 for the third-straight week, a huge rise after starting the year ranked well outside the top 10.
Escalante (10-7), who was ranked No. 1 before winter break, fell down to No. 5; they had been No. 4 a week ago, but fell behind Santa Rosa (14-5) after losing to Mesa Vista while the Lions defeated Estancia (7-10). Peñasco (9-8) stayed at No. 7 for the second straight week, after they had peaked at No. 3.
On the boys side, Pojoaque Valley (12-7) fell out of the top 10 after a pair of losses for the first time since early December; they had peaked as high as No. 7.
In 2A, Mesa Vista (9-8) re-entered the top 10 after falling out a week earlier, placing at No. 10. Escalante (10-7) ranks No. 9, down one spot from a week ago.