Holiday basketball tournaments are a lot like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.
That was true for all six Valencia County programs — boys and girls — who took part last week in tournaments across New Mexico.
There was no holiday rest for Belen, Los Lunas and Valencia boys’ and girls’ basketball teams, playing in tournaments around the state. BHS boys, above, finished third in the Stu Clark Invitational in Las Vegas. (Photos courtesy of Angela Cano)
While the Eagles, Jaguars nor Tigers brought home championship trophies, there were some eye-popping results, including several head scratching scores and an unexpected county showdown.
Los Lunas Tigers
In the opening round of the Las Cruces Holiday Hoopla, LLHS boys defeated Harmony School of Innovation of El Paso 73-1, a score that looks like a typo.
HSI, a new program, was a late replacement and was overwhelmed. Los Lunas coach Travis Julian said he did his best not to run up the score, playing his starters only six minutes each, all in the first half.
LLHS (6-4) defeated Mayfield 61-46 in the semifinals but lost 48-45 in the championship to Organ Mountain. The Tigers rallied from a 12-0 deficit to eventually take the lead, but an O-M three-pointer in the final seconds was the difference.
In the Hoopla girls’ tournament, LLHS (5-4) captured the consolation title. After losing to eventual champion El Paso Burges, 58-33, in the opening round, Los Lunas handled Santa Teresa 62-6 and Valencia 46-39.
The Tigers and Jaguars meet again Saturday on Valencia’s home court.
Valencia Jaguars
Before squaring off with Los Lunas, VHS girls had their four-game winning streak ended in the first round by Mayfield, 52-49.
Jadyn Montoya led the Jaguars with 18 points. After defeating Atrisco Heritage 49-29 in the consolation bracket, Valencia (8-5) fell by seven points to Los Lunas. Montoya was named All-Tournament.
After losing to eventual champion Organ Mountain, one of the top teams in 5A, 72-39 to start Hoopla, Valencia’s boys (7-4) posted two impressive victories. The 4A Jags downed Deming 45-23 and Santa Teresa 68-52.
Damian Estrada averaged nearly 20 points per game and was selected to the All-Tournament team.
Belen Eagles
In Las Vegas at the long-running Stu Clark Invitational, Belen’s boys played some of their best basketball of the season to finish third.
Jordi Rojo, Damian Avila, and Alan Moreno combined for 44 points in a 70-47 victory over St. Michael’s. Las Vegas Robertson, ranked third in 3A, had too much firepower in the semifinals, taking a 72-42 victory.
However, the Eagles (5-6) bounced back to handle Portales, second-ranked in 4A, 86-67 to end the tournament.
The BHS girls (5-5) struggled offensively at times in Roswell at the Goddard Invitational. Belen lost 47-32 to the host Rockets to start the tournament but came back to down Dexter 43-18.
Jaelyn Bob had 14 points while Emma Chavez added 12. In the consolation championship, Artesia raced to an early lead and went on to secure a 65-37 victory over BHS.
Mike Powers spent more than 40 years as a television news and sports anchor, mostly in the Albuquerque market. He has won numerous awards including New Mexico Sportscaster of the Year. He covers a wide range of sports, including the Valencia County prep scene.
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May 2, 2024
