Highland's boys grind out home win versus Valley

The Highland Hornets climbed back to the .500 mark on Friday night, and it carries this message: This is perhaps the least ordinary .500 boys basketball team in New Mexico.

The defending Class 4A state champions have been in flux most of this season. Roster subtractions that were unexpected, but also a key roster addition earlier this week with senior guard Jesus Licon returning to the lineup.

Highland’s 48-41 home victory Friday over Valley, a rematch of last March’s 4A state final, was a bit of a sludge, but it was an effective and key victory nonetheless.

For the first time since 1-1, Highland, ranked No. 6 in 4A, was at .500. (To be fair, a bulk of the Hornets’ losses have been to ranked teams in 5A such as Sandia, Hobbs and Cleveland).

But the Hornets had a terrific defensive showing against Valley — Highland beat the Vikings in two overtimes earlier this season — and left coach Justin Woody with a fresh outlook on things.

“I didn’t like our defensive effort on Tuesday night (at Bernalillo), so that was the focus on Wednesday and Thursday, and moving forward with Jesus,” Woody said. “I think we will continue to get better offensively, but we have to be able to get stops on defense. That is what I was most proud of tonight.”

In particular, he said, Highland marked Carter Monroe and Angelito Villa of Valley, a duo that went off for over 50 combined points in the Vikings’ most recent game, a double-overtime loss on Wednesday to Eldorado.

Friday, Villa finished with nine points, Monroe eight.

“We did a really good job on them,” Woody said.

Seventh-ranked Valley (6-9) was on Highland’s bumper most of the way Friday night. Highland extended out to an 11-point lead early in the third quarter after a 3-pointer from Juan Campuzano, but after going down 29-18, Valley scored the next eight. Highland went back in front by nine, but the deficit was just five, 35-30, starting the fourth quarter.

The Vikings persisted and, following a 3-pointer by Chris Melendez with 2:12 to go — this fortuitous shot danced off the rim twice before falling through — Valley was down just two at 39-37.

Highland made eight out of 10 free throws in the final 1:26 to put the game away.

Campuzano scored a career-best 16 points to lead Highland. Juan Limas added 11 points.

Licon, who led 4A in scoring last season and electrified gyms with his barrage of long 3s, played in his second game back since being cleared from an ACL injury to his right knee suffered in April during club season.

He scored eight points in his first game Tuesday against Bernalillo. He finished with seven points Friday, including one 3, in the first quarter.

“We are really, you know, happy about it,” Campuzano said of Licon’s return. Valley’s Luciano Mondragon blanketed Licon throughout Friday, doing a superb job of denying Licon the ball.

Circling back to the earlier note, Highland lost two starters this year to injury, and another standout quit the program.

“We’ve had a lot of unexpected guys who have stepped up,” Woody said. “So I’m proud of everyone. You never know when your number is gonna get called.”