PREP GIRLS STATE BASKETBALL
10 girls basketball games to watch as state tournament begins
Tournament tips on Friday with powerhouse teams clashing in first round
The first 40 games of the 2026 high school state basketball tournament tip off around the state on Friday, as the girls stage first-round contests in all five classes.
Here are 10 games to watch:
No. 11 MAYFIELD (16-11) at No. 6 LOS LUNAS (23-5), Class 5A first round, 6 p.m.: This is such an intriguing pairing on Friday night.
They met two months ago, with the Trojans winning in overtime on Jan. 10 in Las Cruces.
Talk about a juicy stat: Mayfield’s 5-8 senior forward/post, Ceanna McKines, leads 5A with 25.6 points a game. Los Lunas’ defense gives up, on average, a meager 27.9 points a game. The math crunches quite attractively.
No. 9 LA CUEVA (17-10) at No. 8 LAS CRUCES (20-8), Class 5A first round, 6 p.m.: The Bears face a challenging road trip in the first round, not to mention one of 5A’s best defensive teams.
Las Cruces surrenders only 40.6 points a game, which is 15 fewer than La Cueva scores a game. With that in mind, the Bears will need a great effort from their star Division I guard, Jordyn Dyer, who scores more than 21 a night and will attempt to lead La Cueva once again back to the Pit.
No. 10 VOLCANO VISTA (16-13) at No. 7 CENTENNIAL (20-7), Class 5A first round, 6 p.m.: The Hawks have been flying way under the radar this season, but this is certainly a team to watch for upset potential in the first round.
Volcano Vista has been somewhat up-and-down, but Volcano has repeatedly shown it can stand in against top-level 5A competition. A recent upset win over Rio Rancho is proof.
No. 11 SHIPROCK (15-13) at No. 6 BERNALILLO (23-5), Class 4A first round, 6 p.m.: This will the second road trip for Shiprock into Spartan Alley this season, following a 53-37 loss on Jan. 17.
This Bernalillo team has made it a goal over the past calendar year to reach the Pit in Week 2, a pledge they made to their coach, Ashley Darnell-Duran, who has been battling cancer. This could be a seriously emotional scene on Friday.
No. 10 HIGHLAND (18-11) at No. 7 SILVER (20-6), Class 4A first round, 6 p.m.: The Colts have picked off some good teams this season — notably Mayfield and Santa Fe Indian — so the Hornets will have all they want in this first-rounder.
Highland is led by district player of the year Rebecca Neal, who averages a double-double, and the Colts surely will make Neal their top defensive priority.
No. 15 POJOAQUE VALLEY (20-8) at No. 2 GALLUP (24-4), Class 4A first round, 6 p.m. Friday: The Elkettes are ranked No. 8 in MaxPreps.com, and this is no ordinary 15 seed, but they face a horribly difficult task here, as they face a sold-out and boisterous crowd on the road, and that can be intimidating for visitors.
Not just that, but the Bengals have momentum after their most recent game, a win over rival Kirtland Central in their district tournament final.
No. 9 EAST MOUNTAIN (22-5) at No. 8 TOHATCHI (17-13), Class 3A first round, 6 p.m.: Legendary Ron Drake — who has more career girls basketball coaching wins in New Mexico than anyone in the state besides Mayfield’s George Maya — took over the Timberwolves in the offseason, and they’ve been a success story in 3A.
But this will surely be their most challenging environment to play in this season.
No. 9 LOVINGTON (19-8) at No. 8 PORTALES (15-11), Class 4A first round, 6 p.m.: It’s always entertaining and heated when these two rivals play, whether it’s a regular-season meeting or (especially) a matchup in a state tournament, like this one.
They split two district games, with the Rams winning by eight two weeks ago at home, which is where this playoff game is being played despite Lovington having the better record.
No. 12 TUCUMCARI (12-14) at No. 5 CLAYTON (20-9), Class 2A first round, 6 p.m.: There are always a couple of double-digit seeds that crash the party on opening weekend, and the Rattlers might be a good candidate to watch on that front. (This also applies for the 12 seed in 3A, Ruidoso, which already has won a game at No. 5 Cobre.)
Tucumcari just won a game two weeks ago on the Yellowjackets’ floor.
No. 9 MELROSE (18-9) at No. 8 SPRINGER (20-7), Class 1A first round, 6 p.m.: These 8-9s can often lead to thrilling finishes, and this matchup could go down that road. They played in the regular season in Springer, with the Red Devils winning by four points.
James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at jyodice@abqjournal.com or via X at @JamesDYodice.
