5A girls playoffs: Carlsbad, Rio Rancho upset winners

Rio Rancho and Carlsbad were upset winners Friday night in the Round of 16 of the Class 5A girls high school state basketball tournament.

The Rams won at Los Lunas, while the Cavegirls, a 12 seed, eliminated fifth-seeded Albuquerque High.

Those two join Hobbs, Sandia, Mayfield, Farmington, La Cueva and Clovis in Tuesday’s quarterfinals in the Pit.

It’ll be Hobbs-Clovis, Farmington-Carlsbad, La Cueva-Mayfield and Rio Rancho-Sandia on Tuesday.

No. 10 RIO RANCHO 56, No. 7 LOS LUNAS 45: In Los Lunas, the Rams (21-10) unleashed a second-half hurricane on the Tigers (23-7) as Rio Rancho, led by freshman guard Madi Martinez’s 24 points, moved into the quarters opposite Sandia.

Rio Rancho led by seven, 28-21, at halftime to cap a close first half.

The Rams corrected their turnover problems and began to heat up from the arc in the second half, including a corner 3 from Martinez in the opening minute of the third quarter.

“I knew I wasn’t playing (my best basketball),” said Martinez, who scored 11 points in the first half. “So, at halftime, we got the team together and said, ‘Let’s get out the nervousness. Let’s get out the jitters. Let’s go out there and play how we k now how to.’ “

Rio Rancho led by 20 points (49-29) at the end of the third quarter.

“We wanted to put pressure on them (in the third quarter),” Rio Rancho interim coach Eric Jack said. “We kind of slacked a little in the first half and we wanted to come out and put pressure on them, and that’s what we did.”

Los Lunas didn’t get closer than 10, and that was in the last minute.

“That was a big win. We did excellent. We came out ready to play. We came out hot, ready to get it on,” Jack said. “We played good defense. That’s been a staple of our season, and that’s what we wanted to do.”

Daysia Jack added 15 points for the Rams, who lost twice to Sandia in the regular season — once in the finals of Rio Rancho’s tournament, and the other in the third-place game of the Albuquerque Metro Championships.

– Taylor Hood, Rio Rancho Observer

No. 6 LA CUEVA 60, No. 11 LAS CRUCES 41: At La Cueva, the Bears sizzled from the arc in the first half, pouring in seven 3-pointers in the first half, and La Cueva (21-7) cruised into the quarters by ousting the Bulldawgs (18-10).

Jordyn Dyer, Andi Bingham and freshman Siena Tesinsky each canned two 3s in a big first half which saw La Cueva leading 30-15 at the break.

“This is the first time we’ve had well balanced scoring from the arc,” La Cueva coach Marisa Cogan said. “It’s the best 3-point shooting game we’ve had aside from (versus) Eldorado, the third time we played them (in the district tournament).”

Translation? The Bears are heating up from long range as everyone arrives at the Pit in a couple of days.

“We’ve been working so hard,” said Dyer, who led La Cueva with 17 points and eight assists. “We had game-planned a whole lot for this team, and we knew they’d play us in the 2-3 (zone). … A lot of people don’t think we have shooters, but we do.”

La Cueva on Tuesday will see No. 3 seed Mayfield for the second time this season. The Trojans won 44-36 at La Cueva almost three months ago in the semifinals of the Joe Armijo Classic at Albuquerque Academy. Mayfield (25-3) advanced, 61-38 over Roswell.

“I’m so excited,” Dyer said. “We’re trying to get our good back. … We can definitely beat that team.”

La Cueva led 13-12 after the first quarter, and opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run that included back-to-back 3s from Dyer, and a third by Siena Tesinsky. The Bears were up 24-13 just 2 ½ minutes into the quarter, and Las Cruces was never closer than nine the rest of the way.

“We tell the girls, we’re in our home gym, we’re expected to win,” Cogan said. “After that we’re playing on house money.”

– James Yodice

No. 1 HOBBS 106, No. 16 PIEDRA VISTA 22: At Ralph Tasker Arena, the Eagles (27-1) buried 25 shots from the arc, a single-game team state record for girls, in their demolition of the Panthers (12-17).

The 106 set another record, this for points in a state tournament game, regardless of classification. The old record was 104, established by Roy, against Carrizozo, in 1996.

Nakia Mojica had eight 3s (and 24 points) for the Eagles, who next face rival Clovis in the quarters. Eight different Hobbs players hit at least one shot from 3-point range.

Bhret Clay had 19 points, including five 3s, for Hobbs. Brynn Hargrove had 15 points, on five shots from distance.

Hobbs made 12 two-point baskets.

No. 2 SANDIA 59, No. 15 CENTENNIAL 42: At Sandia, the defending state champion Matadors (27-1) took a while, but they finally put away the pesky Hawks (12-16) after Centennial was within single digits in the second half.

Senior guard Sydney Benally, in her final game in her home gym, led the way with 27 points. Hope Giddings and Nadia Randall added 10 apiece.

THIS AND THAT: In Clovis (22-7), the Wildcats, seeded eighth, eliminated No. 8 Volcano Vista 51-45. The Hawks (16-12) had not lost in the first round since 2018. … At AHS, Carlsbad (19-10) was the biggest upset winner Friday in 5A, taking down the fifth-seeded Bulldogs (21-6) by a 31-29 score. … In Farmington, the Scorpions (23-6) beat Cleveland (13-15) for the fourth time this season, 56-48 on Friday.

Rio Rancho girls upset Los Lunas in state tournament: Photos