3A-2A GIRLS
Three girls titles on the line Friday in the Pit
Navajo Prep and Tatum to defend titles against worthy opponents
While most of the high school basketball championship games will be taking place Saturday at the Pit, three girls classes will crown a winner on Friday.
In Class 4A, No. 1 seed Kirtland Central plays No. 2 seed Gallup at 7 p.m. In Class 3A, No. 2 seed Santa Fe Indian will face top-seed Navajo Prep at 3 p.m. In Class 2A, Mesa Vista takes on Tatum at 5 p.m.
Class 3A
No. 2 Santa Fe Indian vs. No. 1 Navajo Prep
Kamyra Goldtooth had 10 points to pace top-seeded Navajo Prep (26-3) who rolled to a semifinal win on Thursday night over No. 5 seed Cobre. Nataya Serrano added 10 rebounds for the Eagles.
They’ll have a slightly taller task ahead of them on Friday afternoon when they face the No. 2 seed Santa Fe Indian School. The Eagles will be going for their third straight title.
The 25-6 Braves punched their ticket with a 54-27 win over 3-seed Robertson, in a game that included a double-double performance from Kaydence Riley and 15 points from Aaliyah Valencia.
The Braves have rattled off 22 straight victories.
CLASS 2A
No. 1 Mesa Vista vs. No. 3 Tatum
Mesa Vista has been on a roll all season, and now its moment has arrived. After blowing out Laguna-Acoma 48-28 in the semifinals Thursday, top-seeded Trojans move on to the championship game to face No. 3, Tatum.
“That was a tough game, but these girls did it,” said Mesa Vista coach Jesse Boies. “And we’re excited, man! … This is our third-straight final four. … And we finally made it (to the championship).”
Mesa Vista is led by a pair of freshmen in Aaliyah Boies and Jordyn Serrano. Boies was 6-for-13 shooting with eight steals and Serrano pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds against Laguna-Acoma.
The Trojans sit at 28-2 on the season and haven’t lost a game since Dec. 20.
The Coyotes, the defending champions, are 25-6 and earned a return trip to the title game with a 50-43 upset of No. 2 Texico in the semifinals.
Tatum’s Avery Henard has been nearly unstoppable in the playoffs, posting a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double against Texico.
