Staley's Sports Dailies

NCAA Tournament short for locals ... The Gatorade girls basketball P.O.Y. is ...

2008-03-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

Their experience on the Big Dance floor lasted only a song.

No New Mexicans have advanced first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Frank Borden, a graduate of Gadsden High, plucked a game-high eight rebounds, but it wasn't enough to help No. 15 seed American upset No. 2 seed Tennessee. The Vols won, 72-57.
Neither Alex White (Rio Grande) or Ryan Daniels (La Cueva) played in No. 5 Drake's gut-wringing loss to No. 12 Western Kentucky. The Bulldogs lost, 101-99, on a 26-foot shot at the buzzer.
Southern Cal, the team of injured Cibola grad Kasey Cunningham, fell 70-57 to No. 11 Kansas State.

The only New Mexican who has a chance is Valerie Kast. She'll play Saturday night when the No. 12 Lobos play against No. 5 West Virginia.

#####

Another honor for La Cueva's Brenna Freeze ...

The recently crowned state champion was named Gatorade New Mexico Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Freeze averaged 17.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game. The 5-foot-11 guard might have been one of the best shooters in the state, hitting 51 percent of his shots.

Her father, Geoff Freeze, is most proud that she has averaged 1.1 turnovers in the past two years. Geoff, a local engineer, made a formula to rank teams in high school sports.

Freeze will play for Wyoming next season.

Aggies vs. Lobos

2008-03-18T23:06:00.000-07:00

It starts with a fact or two, but, before long, many discussions of basketball superiority between Lobos and Aggies fans usually end with insults.

On message boards that means ALL CAPS, a troop of exclamation points and a few of these ...

%*&!

But which program really is better?

I researched the men's basketball programs from both schools, comparing them in several important categories. All information is current through today. Here's what I found ...

Wins

UNM 1,289, NMSU 1,272

Winning percentage

NMSU .570, UNM .562

Head to head wins

UNM 106, NMSU 94

20-win seasons

NMSU 22, UNM 21

NCAA Tournament invitations

NMSU 17, UNM 11

NCAA Tournament wins
NMSU 10, UNM 6

NCAA Tournament winning percentage
NMSU .344, UNM .333

NCAA Tournament milestones
NMSU: Final Four (1970), Sweet 16 (1992)
UNM: Has yet to advance past second round

NMSU wins six of the eight categories, which surprised me. Nothing against the Aggies, but when I thought of the categories, I figured it would be closer. It's always been a very entertaining rivalry.

However look how close the schools are in the categories.

It will be interesting to see how this looks in five years.

Dancing New Mexicans

2008-03-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

Less than two days from the official start of the NCAA Tournaments -- I'm not counting the play-in game, sorry -- here's a list of New Mexico players who might be feeling the nerves ...

Frank Borden, American (Gadsden High): He might be the only player from New Mexico who will get minutes in the tournaments. Borden was a reserve for No. 15 seed American for most of the year. He might be in the starting lineup against No. 2 Tennessee because of an injury.

Alex White, Drake (Rio Grande): White came off the bench for the Bulldogs early in the season, but he hasn't played since Jan. 9. Fifth-seeded Drake faces No. 12 Western Kentucky in a mid-major matchup.

Ryan Daniels, Drake (La Cueva): Daniels, the older brother of La Cueva standout Ronnie Daniels, is on the roster, but he won't play. He is sitting out this season, as per NCAA rule, after transferring from junior college.

Kasey Cunningham, Southern Cal (Cibola): Cunningham came off the bench before suffering another knee injury for the No. 6 Trojans. Unfortunately he will miss quite a game matching teammate O.J. Mayo and the fantastic freshman from No. 11 Kansas State, Michael Beasley

Valerie Kast, New Mexico (Gallup): The 6-foot-6 sophomore plays about five minutes per game for the No. 12 seeded Lobos, who get to play at home against No. 5 West Virginia.

*****

NCAA Women's First/Second Round
The Pit
March 22
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 Fresno State, noon
No. 6 Pitt vs. No. 11 Wyoming (30 minutes after previous game)
No. 5 West Virginia vs. No. 12 UNM, 6:30 p.m.
No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. No. 13 Montana (30 minutes after previous game)

Hoops thoughts

2008-03-17T22:46:00.000-07:00

Through five years of covering high school basketball I've talked to hundreds of players, coaches, parents and other hoops fans.

In all those interviews or informal chats or even just overhearing people, I've never heard anybody gripe about the location of the state tournament.

Full disclosure: Once, legendary Clovis football coach (and basketball referee) Eric Roanhaus mentioned the advantages Northern teams hold in the tournament. But he wasn't complaining. And he never suggested that the tournament should be moved out of The Pit.

If you've ever spent a couple days at the state tournament, you how Albuquerque-area and a few other Northern teams benefit. Their fans can go scream and cheer at every game -- and often do.

If you play for from Deming, Mayfield or even tradition-loaded Hobbs, you usually only get a large cluster of fans if you make it to the championship game. It must feel like you're playing a college road game, especially if your team plays Gallup or Espanola Valley.

Not easy. But every year well-traveled high school teams win championships and deal with it.

For some reason a few Mountain West Conference coaches, notably New Mexico's Steve Alford, can't.

In recent weeks Alford has been vocal with his displeasure that the MWC Tournament takes place in Las Vegas, on UNLV's home court. Alford's not the first to vent about this, just the most local. You hear essentially the same arguments/suggestions ...

It's unfair

The MWC should rotate the tournament site or move it to a neutral site

It would be stupid to suggest that this practice is fair. Even if the court and decor at the Thomas and Mack Center changes, it's still the Rebels gym. Those are mostly their fans in the seats.

But there is no other realistic option than to have the MWC Tournament in Vegas.

Rotation?

Air Force, Colorado State and TCU don't have big enough arenas (each under 10,000 capacity). Wyoming is too isolated and too difficult to reach.

That leaves BYU, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV and Utah. All could host the event. But is it any more fair to let only those teams get the event -- and the inherent advantages?

What about a neutral site?

No.

Any regional, neutral city with a large enough arena (Phoenix, Denver, Dallas for example) won't have enough interest in the MWC.

Let's see, would a Phoenix fan pick the MWC Tournament over a Suns game or watching the Pac-10 Tournament from their own recliner? Would a Dallas fan rather check out MWC action or that from the Big 12?

That means the league would have to rely on only the small percentage of each team's fans that travel to support the event. Ouch.

Playing the MWC Tournament makes sense, just like playing the state tournament in Albuquerque makes sense.

High school kids deal with it.

Why can't MWC coaches?

*****

Speaking of high school kids ...

Here are this year's state champions and some notes.

Class 5A
The Hobbs boys earned their record 16th state title by edging rival Clovis. La Cueva's girls got their first, by beating Eldorado

Class 4A
St. Pius X took both championships by a combined 17 points. For the boys it was their third straight.

Class 3A
Another sweep: Pojoaque's Elks and Elkettes each won. It was the boys first championship since 1984 and the girls first since 1998. The boys were the lowest seed to win it, No. 7.

Class 2A
Deuces wild. Texico won two titles (boys and girls). Both teams were No. 2 seeds.

Class 1A
The Cliff boys rolled to another title, winning their state tournament games by an average of 18.6 points. The No. 5 seed Animas girls won two of their three games in OT.

*****

Loved this ...

The heart of Eldorado's Kya De Garmo.

In the final game against La Cueva, the sophomore sprained an ankle in the first quarter and had to be helped off the floor. But she came back and played most of the game effectively.

She also wouldn't let her team hang their heads as the buzzer sounded. As expected there were tears. But De Garmo jumped in front of them, shouting and holding up two fingers. She wanted them to realize that, even though it's unwanted and it hurts, second place is an achievement. I know I couldn't have done that.

... Not this

I get that sports is about more than just winning, especially at the high school level.

But don't treat it like elementary school sports.

One of the state tournament PA announcers, who shall remain nameless, has, for at least a couple years, made me roll my eyes before the championship hardware is awarded.

He always makes a point of saying that there "Are no losers" in a state championship and calls the team that lost the "Winner of the second place" trophy.

It's a nice gesture, but if I was playing, I would hate it.

Don't sugar-coat it. One team lost. One team won. It happens.

Watch out No. 1s

2008-03-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

It's not easy being No. 1.

Three top seeds have played so far at The Pit today. Two lost and another was taken to triple overtime.

Perhaps the most surprising upset came from boys Class 3A No. 4 seed West Las Vegas. The Dons have beaten district rival St. Michael's before, but the Horsemen always seem to win when it counts.

Not today.

West Las Vegas hit several big 3-pointers in a 56-48 victory. Check out the difference in three point field goal percentage ...

West Las Vegas: 67 percent (8-12)
St. Mike's: Five percent (1-21)

A few moments ago girls Class 2A No. 2 seed Texico earned the first state championship of this tournament. The Wolverines beat No. 1 Navajo Prep, 55-45.

This morning, on the boys side of Class 2A, defending champion Mesilla Valley Christian needed
three overtimes to finish off No. 5 Santa Rosa, 83-81. The Lions had a chance to tie the game at the end, but the shot missed.

Here are the other scores ...

Boys
Class 2A
No. 2 Texico 58,
No. 3 Penasco 50

Class 3A
No. 7 Pojoaque 58,
No. 3 Sandia Prep 51

Check back later for scores from the Class 3A and 4A girls state title games.

Wow ... Thursday's state basketball tourney results

2008-03-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

The state tournament is always good for a few moments that send your jaw to the floor.

Two years ago No. 8 seed Valley upset No. 1 Mayfield with a buzzer beater.

Last year St. Pius X went on a memorable and unexpected run, winning a state title with a 16-13 record.

What unfolded Thursday night trumps both those moments. It left me with goosebumps. I can't remember when that happened because of a game.

The Class 4A semifinal between No. 5 Albuquerque Academy and No. 1 Espanola Valley featured a 22-point swing, overtime, a large frenzied crowd and an one of the most improbable finishes I've ever seen.

Start at the end of regulation. Tied at 49-all, the Sundevils had the ball last. They milked the clock then fired. Six misses -- some of them at point-blank range -- later it was overtime.

The Chargers turned the ball over in its first two possessions then trailed 54-50 with less than a minute to play. It looked like the Sundevils 18-point comback was complete.

Then there was the last 47.6 seconds ...

Academy guard Kevin Nelson, who is the son of former UNM All-American Ron Nelson and resembles actor John Krasinski (The Office), drilled two free throws amid a deafening sea of Espanola Valley fans to half the lead.

Let the craziness begin. While the Sundevils were attempting to spread the Chargers defense and wait for them to foul, Academy guard Patrick Zacharias cut off a cross-court pass and raced for the rim. He was fouled, but made only one free throw. Fifty-four to 53, Espanola Valley.

After a timeout, Academy set up a fullcourt press. Nelson intercepted the inbounds pass, drawing comparisons from one longtime observer to Larry Bird's famous play -- you've no doubt heard it described by chainsaw-voiced Johnny Most, "Now there's a steal by Bird! ..." Nelson fed the ball to Josh Miera, who was fouled. Miera hit two with 22 seconds left. Fifty-five to 54, Academy.

Shocked Espanola Valley had one more chance, but missed.

Chargers coach Mike Brown, whose known for leading Academy to six straight state titles, is back in the championship game Saturday against St. Pius X. Brown's teams have lost their last four state title games. Academy's last appearance was 2001.

Here's the rest of today's scores ...

Boys

Girls

Wednesday state tourney scores: Final edition

2008-03-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

What a dramatic day for Santa Fe area high school basketball fans.

Here's a time line ...

The morning's first game at the Santa Ana Star Center ended in overtime when Class 2A No. 2 Texico scraping by No. 7 Monte Del Sol, 64-61.

A few hours later at The Pit Class 4A No. 3 seed Capital blew a late lead then lost to No. 6 Artesia, 73-70, also in overtime.

Back in Rio Rancho the seventh seed in Class 3A, Pojoaque, knocked off No. 2 Hope Christian, 56-52, when Orlando Trujillo swished a 3-pointer with 12 seconds to play.

In the final game, Class 3A No. 1 St. Michael's ripped No. 9 Laguna Acoma, 58-35.

And it's only the first day of boys action.

Here are the rest of the scores (for earlier games, check previous entries) ...

Class 5A
No. 2 Hobbs 75,
No. 10 Albuquerque High 68

No. 1 Clovis 75,
No. 8 Cibola 69

No. 6 Mayfield 62,
No. 14 Gallup 56

Class 4A
No. 1 Espanola Valley 75,
No. 8 Roswell 61

No. 5 Albuquerque Academy 82,
No. 4 Goddard 70

Class 3A
No. 3 Sandia Prep 65,
No. 6 Socorro 45

No. 4 West Las Vegas 67,
No. 5 Portales 59

Class 2A
No. 1 Mesilla Valley Christian 76,
No. 8 Capitan 62

No. 5 Santa Rosa 69,
No. 4 Monte Vista 62

No. 3 Penasco 53,
No. 6 Dulce 45

Class 1A (the blowout division)
No. 1 Cliff 76,
No. 8 Clovis Christian 40

No. 4 Elida 75,
No. 5 Gateway Christian 66

No. 6 Animas 81,
No. 3 Dora 61

No. 2 Hagerman 82,
No. 7 Temple Baptist 52

*****

One quick gripe on the Cibola-Clovis game. Nice matchup. Close game. And, unfortunately, it was one of those games in which the officials couldn't make up their mind: Are they going to blow their whistle endlessly or swallow it?

It went back and forth to the dismay of any fan who watched it. This includes Cibola coach Ray Rodriguez. During one sideline conversation an official tried to comfort Rodriguez, making reference to the fact that the foul count was 8-7.

Lovely.

Does that mean that official watches the tally on the scoreboard? That ought to make some fans feel better. You know the ones, they're always asking the refs to look at the foul count (as if that has anything to do with the quality or fairness of officiating). Makes me shudder.

Wednesday state tourney scores: Afternoon edition

2008-03-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

Down goes another defending state champ.

La Cueva avenged a loss to Rio Rancho in last year's semifinals with a 87-77 win this morning at The Pit.

So far half of last year's 10 champs are out. All that's left on the girls side is Texico in Class 2A. St. Pius X boys survived this morning. St. Michael's (Class 3A), Mesilla Valley (2A) and Gateway Christian are also left.

Here's today's scores (check back later for more) ...

Class 4A
No. 2 St. Pius X 57,
No. 7 Los Alamos 50

Class 2A
No. 2 Texico 64,
No. 7 Monte Del Sol 61

Tuesday's scores: Evening edition

2008-03-11T22:04:00.000-07:00

Lots of upsets this morning, nothing to speak of tonight.

Here are the rest of the scores (for other finals check older entries) ...

Class 5A
No. 2 Eldorado 51,
No. 10 Hobbs 37

No. 1 La Cueva 63
No. 8 Sandia 54

Class 4A
No. 3 Roswell 54,
No. 6 Shiprock 49 (OT)

No. 1 Kirtland Central 67,
No. 8 Deming 44

Class 3A
No. 1 St. Michael's 46,
No. 8 Robertson 44

No. 3 Pojoaque 62,
No. 11 Thoreau 23

Class 2A
No. 3 Mora 63,
No. 6 Coronado 54

Class 1A
No. 5 Animas 66,
No. 4 Gallup Catholic 60 (OT)

No. 2 Elida 57,
No. 7 Grady 49

No. 6 Magdalena 70,
No. 3 Cimarron 63

Tuesday's scores: Afternoon edition

2008-03-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

Play.

That was the word Rio Rancho girls basketball coach Bob McIntyre wanted his Rams to think about during halftime today in their Class 5A quarterfinal.

Athletic Alamogordo dominated No. 3 seed Rio Rancho for most of the first half. The No. 6 Tigers led by seven at the half. It had been as high as 12 points.

Rio Rancho relaxed in the second half -- easy to do with Megan Muniz at the wheel -- and rolled to a 54-44 win. Muniz, who might be the smoothest, most skilled perimeter player in the state, finished with 26 points, three assists and three rebounds. Perhaps most impressive: She scored 16 straight points for the Rams during a run that spanned the third and fourth quarters.

Here are some more scores (remember it's all girls games today). For earlier results check earlier entries.

Class 4A
No. 4 Moriarty 63,
No. 12 Piedra Vista 26

No. 2 St. Pius X 46
No. 10 Del Norte 25

Class 3A
No. 12 Lovington 68
No 4 Hope Christian 59

Class 2A
No. 1 Navajo Pine 69
No. 8 Tularosa 50

No. 4 Rehoboth 56
No. 5 Lordsburg 50

Class 1A
No. 1 Cliff 60
No. 8 Clovis Christian 39

Two completed Pit games, two upsets

2008-03-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

We've had two games and a No. 2 seed and a No. 4 are going home.

Welcome to the state tournament.

The biggest surprise came in the first girls game when No. 10 seed Santa Fe Indian knocked off No. 2 Portales, 41-35. The Rams had been a fixture in the Class 3A title game.

In Class 5A No. 5 Las Cruces High edged No. 4 Cibola, 43-39.

In Class 2A No. 2 Texico thumped No. 7 Bosque School, 60-29, at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho.

I'll have more scores later in the day

Boys state hoops off to wild start

2008-03-08T23:21:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a bad day for District 5-5A.

Throughout the regular it seemed to be one of the stronger leagues in boys basketball. Highland, Los Lunas and Manzano combined for 60 wins. The Hornets, the No. 3 seed, looked like Albuquerque's best chance for a state title in the largest classification. The Tigers and Monarchs had the feel of sleepers.

None will be at The Pit next week.

Gallup's 65-63 win over Highland ranks easily as the most jaw-dropping upset of the opening round. The No. 14 seed isn't supposed to beat No. 3. The Hive had 24 wins. Ouch.

The most intense boys game of the first round might have been down in Las Cruces. No. 6 Mayfield needed three overtimes to send No. 11 Manzano home, 78-74. Watch out for the Trojans. They have chemistry, experience and one of the state's most respected coaches, Tommy Morrow.

Albuquerque High's 59-51 win over Los Lunas wasn't terribly surprising -- it was the 7-10 matchup. But it was a big step for the Bulldogs. Last season AHS broke a 55-game losing streak. Now they'll be back on The Pit floor since 1998.

Here are the rest of Saturday's scores ...

Class 5A
No. 1 Clovis 89,
No. 16 Onate 64

No. 8 Cibola 56,
No. 9 Sandia 42

No. 5 La Cueva 72,
No. 12 Gadsden 64

No. 4 Rio Rancho 75,
No. 13 Alamogordo 64

No. 2 Hobbs 81,
No. 15 Valley 53

For other scores, click here.

It's here ... Girls state basketball tournament update

2008-03-07T21:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight we got the floorburns, upsets and tears.

Next week, we'll add The Pit -- and crank up the drama.

The state tournament is officially here. Bask, my friends.

You can bet floorburns were plentiful. Can you smell 'em? I saw enough as No. 8 seed Sandia knocked out No. 9 Mayfield, 41-35. Quick tangent: Last year's Class 4A winner Aztec also lost in the first round. The champions of the three other classes all won convincingly, including Texico, which provided the nastiest score of the night in beating Estancia -- prepare to wince -- 59-12. Yuck.

As for the upsets ...

Class 3A (maybe the seeding was off here?)
No. 12 Lovington 69,
No. 5 Socorro 63

No. 11 Thoreau 60
No. 6 Tohatchi 56

No. 10 SFIS 59
No. 7 Sandia Prep 47

Class 4A
No. 12 Piedra Vista 45,
No. 5 Los Alamos 43

No. 10 Del Norte 45,
No. 7 Roswell 44

Congrats to the Knights, who, in their first playoff appearance since the 1970s, will get to stride down the famed ramp at The Pit.

Class 5A
No. 10 Hobbs 52
No. 7 Valley 47

Hard to call this an upset. The teams are close in the seeds and this was played in Hobbs because NMAA rules always give district champions home games in the first round, even if they are seeded lower.

Here are the Class 5A scores that haven't been mentioned ...
1) La Cueva 40,
16) Gallup 38

5) Las Cruces 57,
12) Los Lunas 32

4) Cibola 43,
13) Highland 35

3) Rio Rancho 39
14) Clovis 30

6) Alamogordo 58,
11) Rio Grande 44

2) Eldorado 63,
15) West Mesa 35

For all the scores, click here.

*****

As I walked toward my seat at the Sandia gym I bumped into legendary Clovis football coach Eric Roanhaus.

It surprised me at first.

"I forgot you were an official," I said as we shook hands.

Quipped Roanhaus: "Yep. I'm part of the cheaters club."

Other than that I didn't notice him -- which is a good thing for officials. Can you imagine if he had blown his whistle for a questionable call that cost Mayfield the game? That wouldn't have sat well in Las Cruces.

Nice win Lobos ... now do it again

2008-03-04T22:44:00.000-08:00

With TV cameras rolling and reporters' pens scribbling, Steve Alford is generally subdued.

With 18,018 emotional Lobos fans hanging on the basketball coach's every word after Tuesday's win over UNLV, Alford changed.

He summoned his inner showman.

"We will not be in the NIT," Alford announced from The Pit floor during a postgame Senior Night ceremony.

The implication, of course, is that the Lobos will be going to the NCAA Tournament. And it doesn't take a mental long jump to infer that Alford thought the impressive 59-45 shutdown of the Rebels was the deciding factor.

It was, after all, UNM's 23rd win and 10th in Mountain West Conference play. It was the Lobos seventh win in eight games. It was their best win, in terms of opponent RPI (the Rebels were 26th coming in).

Moments later -- having returned to typical decaffeinated mode in front of the gathered media -- Alford said he thought a win at Colorado State would be the final hurdle between the Lobos and an at-large bid.

Sorry, that's not enough.

As I've written before, UNM will have to advance to the MWC Tournament championship game and they'll probably have to beat UNLV again to get there. Tuesday's win doesn't change that.

I say probably only because it's possible that the Rebels will get upset before playing the Lobos. However that is hard to imagine considering UNLV and UNM likely will meet in the semifinals -- it would take UNLV losing what is essentially a home game against one of the MWC's weakest teams in the opening round. Ain't happening.

Think about what it means if the Lobos play the Rebels and lose. That would give two of three meetings to UNLV. That would make UNM 1-4 against the league's best teams. It would mean the Lobos best wins came against a team that won the season series (UNLV) and another that won't get an at-large invitation (Texas Tech). And many of their 23 other wins would have come against a wet toilet paper-weak schedule.

Alford highlighted his team's total wins and conference wins. While impressive, this isn't the Big Ten, a major conference in which those numbers would stamp a ticket to the NCAAs. It's the Mountain West Conference, a mid-major.

This is not to say UNM can't beat UNLV in the MWC Tourney; Tuesday proved that.

But, as big as Tuesday's win was, the Big Dance isn't a sure thing. The Lobos still have a lot of work to do.

A glance at the Class 5A basketball brackets

2008-03-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

After spending much of the evening scouring state tournament brackets, seeds and matchups, I couldn't help but wonder ...

Does anybody run an office pool for the state tournament?

Could be fun, but I never do well in those things.

Here's a look at the Class 5A brackets ...

BOYS

Pairings (all games Saturday, times to be announced)

1) Clovis vs. 16) Onate
2) Hobbs vs. 15) Valley
3) Highland vs. 14) Gallup
4) Rio Rancho vs. 13) Alamogordo
5) La Cueva vs. 12) Gadsden
6) Mayfield vs. 11) Manzano
7) Los Lunas vs. 10) Albuquerque High
8) Cibola vs. 9) Sandia

Best out: West Mesa (12-15). The Mustangs started 8-3, including a comeback win over Albuquerque High. But they were 2-13 in other games against Class 5A playoff teams.

Interesting matchups

Sandia (16-11) at Cibola (17-11): Two of the state's best post players will go at it -- Sandia's Eric Kibi and Cibola's Jon Mader. Kibi and Mader are typical New Mexico back-to-the-basket forwards. Undersized (both are 6-foot-4) with slick moves and a nose for rebounds. Cibola won an earlier matchup 63-53 on Jan. 9

Albuquerque High (18-11) at Los Lunas (18-9): Watch the sharp shooters. Los Lunas has Matt Billups, who has excelled with a heavy heart this season after the death of his father Harold. Albuquerque High has Emilio Andrade, who can bury clutch shots with the best of them. This is an even matchup all over the floor. The Tigers won, 61-52, on Jan. 17.

Gadsden (15-13) at La Cueva (18-9): Gadsden might be the scariest team in Class 5A because of their willingness to play the dreaded stall-ball. The Panthers knocked Alamogordo out of the state tournament last week using this tactic and winning 16-10. La Cueva has been up and down this season. The last time the Bears were a No. 5 seed was during the 2006 state tournament. That year La Cueva lost a stunner at home to another team from District 3-5A (Alamogordo).

Looking ahead to Round 2

If the first round is a breeze for No. 1 Clovis, the second round might provide their first state tourney test. The quarterfinals could bring Cibola, a team that the Wildcats edged, 73-70, earlier this season. When healthy the Cougars have enough offense to hang with any team.

Highland coach Danny Brown has got to be a bit concerned about a possible matchup with district rival Manzano in Round 2. The Monarchs know the Hornets better than any team, having played them four times. Highland is 3-1 against Manzano, but the games have been decided by a combined 11 points.

GIRLS

Pairings (all games Friday, times to be announced)
1) La Cueva vs. 16) Gallup
2) Eldorado vs. 15) West Mesa
3) Rio Rancho vs. 14) Clovis
4) Cibola vs. 13) Highland
5) Las Cruces vs. 12) Los Lunas
6) Alamogordo vs. 11) Rio Grande
7) Valley vs. 10) Hobbs
8) Sandia vs. 9) Mayfield

Best out: Santa Fe (12-15). The Demons were 1-10 versus Class 5A playoff teams. They beat Rio Grande early in the season then lost to the Ravens later.

Interesting matchups

Gallup (13-13) at La Cueva (24-2): In November you might have guessed this matchup would decided the state title. Not now. Gallup lost four starters (three to suspension) and struggled in the state's deepest district. La Cueva has more talent, but, even without so many key players, Gallup has tradition, pride and a system that gives them a chance.

Mayfield (18-9) at Sandia (16-13): Two of the state's top programs have entered a rebuilding phase after a dominant run. They've played some memorable games in recent years. This could be another.

Highland (13-15) at Cibola (22-6): Yeah two of the state's best players -- Highland's Deeva Vaughn and Cibola's Skye Barnett -- will share the floor, but this could be a dangerous game for the Cougars. Highland is 1-1 versus Cibola. The total combined scores of these two games is 82-80, Cibola.

Looking ahead to Round 2

Rio Rancho vs. Alamogordo: It's the slow, deliberate Rams versus the fast Tigers. Rio Rancho has scored 50 or more points this season only five times. Alamogordo did that 19 times, including five times reaching at least 70.

La Cueva vs. Sandia: Twenty-one ... six ... five... seven. That's the margin of victory in the four La Cueva wins over Sandia. In this rivalry don't be surprised if the fifth matchup is closer.

We're back: West Mesa's playoff berth is the first for the school's girls basketball team in more than a decade. Congrats.

The best argument for a high school shot clock is ...

2008-02-28T22:51:00.000-08:00

The Gadsden boys basketball team.

No contest.

The Panthers provided another example on Thursday night in the District 3-5A Tournament. Gadsden knocked off Alamogordo 16-10.

That's no typo (though I'll probably have plenty). Sixteen to 10!

Before I explain, here are some details, courtesy of Las Cruces Sun-News reporter Felix Chavez.

Gadsden outscored Alamogordo 5-0 in the second half.
Daniel Rico (Gadsden) and Tremaine McClellan (Alamogordo) each led their teams, scoring six points.
Alamogordo did not shoot a free throw.

These scorebook anomalies are made possible by Gadsden's stall tactic. Thursday's score, which looked like something you'd see in a third-grade girls game, was a perfect storm. Under legendary coach Mike Harper -- he won his 700th game this season -- the Panthers have been known to turn offense into a game of keep away in Nikes. Alamogordo refused to come out of its zone defense, which let the Gadsden point guard hold the ball for most of the second half.

This strategy might not be popular, but it requires plenty of discipline and conditioning. When I worked in Las Cruces, I saw plenty of Gadsden games stay in the 30s. Even against a man-t0-man defense the Panthers often milk more than a minute off the clock per possession. Would-be defenders get impatient or tired or bored and frequently surrender backdoor layups.

Slow-down offense also requires hard-nosed defense. Rallying from even a six-point deficit becomes quite a chore when it takes 1:24 to score a single basket. You simply can not get behind and win with this offense.

While it has its redeeming qualities this offense frustrates me, even when coaches use it on a limited basis at the end of halves and games. Running is inherent to basketball. This offense robs the game of part of its soul.

Opposing fans hate it. Coaches hate to plan for it -- Tuesday's score will make coaches all over cross their fingers, hoping not to draw Gadsden at state.

It's also unfair to defenses. If you can stop a team from shooting for more than a minute, you should get the ball back.

However, I'm not going to say that this isn't real basketball. It drives me crazy when old-school, pass-fearing football coaches say that about spread offenses, so I won't go there. Stall offense has a place.

It just needs to be tempered.

A shot clock would do that, even one that lasts as long as 60 seconds. The NBA has it. College has it. Even some high schools do. It's time for New Mexico to join that list.

Lobos give one away to No. 25 BYU

2008-02-27T00:14:00.000-08:00

Wearing a backwards cap and a smile, Trent Plaisted strolled up a ramp outside The Pit in a giving mood.

A Lobos fan stopped him as he headed for the BYU team bus. The fan leaned in to pat the Cougars 6-foot-11 center on the back; he had a request.

"Practice jersey?" Plaisted replied. "I'll give you one of mine if you want."

Maybe charity comes easier after a win, especially when you have a night like Plaisted did Tuesday. He scored a team-high 23 points and hit the game-winning free throw with 5.7 seconds to play in overtime as the hated, 25th-ranked Cougars edged the Lobos, 70-69, in front of a wired crowd of 18,018, the first sellout in two years.

Moments earlier Lobos guard Dairese Gary trudged up that same ramp looking as though he needed a gift. Maybe a hug. Maybe a good joke. Anything to lift the disappointment that engulfed him and the rest of the UNM team after it collectively fumbled what would have been the biggest win in recent memory.

"We had it," Gary said. "It was right there in our hands. They just got ranked. For us to beat a top 25 team, that would have been big. To let it slip away like that it just hurt."

Especially when everything looked so promising.

With 6:24 to play in regulation, Roman Martinez converted an old fashioned three-point play, inciting the raucous Lobos crowd and giving UNM an eight point lead.

It felt like a win.

It felt like The Pit was about to swallow another ranked team.

It felt like maybe the Lobos could play themselves into the NCAA Tournament this year. Critics had said the one thing UNM's resume lacked was a big win (15 of their wins game at the expense of teams with an RPI of 152 or lower). Well, this certainly felt big.

But the feeling wouldn't last.

Suddenly BYU, which had been cold much of the game, started hitting shots. The Cougars started to draw fouls. They outscored UNM 13-5 to finish the game tied. On to overtime.

Again the Lobos mounted a late lead. Gary hit two free throws with 1:05 to play, ratcheting his team's advantage to three, 69-66.

And again BYU dismantled it.

The Cougars hit four free throws on consecutive possessions in the final minute, capped by Plaisted's pair that gave BYU a lead.

Still, 5.4 seconds remained for the Lobos to pull out the win. After a BYU timeout, Jamaal Smith, probably the fastest player on the court at the time, raced to score. He fired an off-balance jumper from about 10 feet from the basket and missed.

The clock appeared to expire as players scrambled for the ball. But officials watched a replay of the sequence and determined the ball went off a BYU player with one-tenth of a second on the clock.

Gary lobbed the ball cleanly into Giddens, but his quick shot bounced, harmlessly, off the back of the rim.

"Good pass," Giddens said. "Good look. Just didn't fall."

That was the theme of the night for UNM.

Four times in their freshly broken six-game winning streak the Lobos shot at least 52 percent from the field. Tuesday UNM hit only 36.6 percent, including an uncharacteristic 3-of-20 performance from the 3-point line. Chad Toppert went 0-fer from long range for the first time since November, a span of 21 games.

It might have been an off night, but BYU's defense clearly bothers UNM. The Lobos two worst shooting nights in Mountain West Conference play came against the Cougars.

"It's very frustrating," said Giddens, who finished with 30 points. "We really fought for this game; we really needed to win. But we made some mistakes at the end, missed some free throws and lost the ball game."

Giddens turned in another one of the all-around performances that have been his signature in a season that should end with him being named the MWC Player of the Year. He added seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks. This despite dealing with a strained hip flexor for the entire second half.

As painful as the loss was -- a couple Lobos had tears in their eyes as they went into the locker room -- there were some pieces of encouragement.

"We've gotten better," said UNM coach Steve Alford, whose team fell by 17 when it play BYU in Provo, Utah. "We've improved and that's what I told them in the locker room. Now the key is take a couple days away from it. ... This has been a tough stretch for us. ... This is going to hurt for a while, because they worked awfully hard to get to this point."

For the Cougars it could be a win that carries them into the MWC Tournament.

Immediately after the game Cougars coach Dave Rose unfolded his arms and sternly shook hands with Alford. As he ventured into the tunnel Rose's demeanor changed considerably. He sprinted up the ramp shouting, a fist aloft above his head.

"Very rarely will you see our coach do anything like that," Plaisted said. "But when he gets excited it's so fun to be around. ... It's an awesome, awesome feeling."

Enough to make you want to give a rival's fan the shirt off your back -- or at least the one out of your duffel bag.

*****

Numbers of note

1: Losses by the Lobos when Jonathan Wills starts. UNM had won all 12 games he started before Tuesday.

17: Games won at The Pit by BYU, more than any other visiting team.

19: The shooting percentage, from 3-point range, that would have won the game for UNM. That's less than half the Lobos nation-leading average coming in (43.7). It would require UNM to make one more three than it did.

46.1: Percentage of UNM's made field goals attributed to Giddens. He seemed to be the team's lone consistent force on offense.

*****
Quote of note

"I guess I'm going to start putting foam on the end of my shoes because the stomping is too loud."

--- Lobos coach Steve Alford trying to explain the technical foul he received in the first half.

*****
Next

UNM (22-7, 9-5) hosts UNLV (21-6, 10-3) on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

This way to the Big Dance

2008-02-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

While researching the New Mexico men's basketball team's NCAA Tournament credentials something Jay Bilas said caught my ear.

"The key is who can you beat," said Bilas, the ESPN hoops analyst, during tonight's Marquette-Villanova game.

Then Bilas asked the question that the Lobos will have to answer if they are to be invited to the Big Dance: "Have you proven that you can beat the good teams that you are going to see in the NCAA Tournament?"

The response for UNM, at this point, is no.

But Steve Alford's team seems to be surging in that direction. The Lobos have won six straight, including two historic, back-to-back wins at Air Force (first time since 2001) and Utah (first time since 1989).

The season's stretch run will tell much about UNM's chances.

Obviously a Mountain West Conference tournament title will get the Lobos in. Let's look at what they'd have to do to receive an at-large bid from the selection committee.

This has been discussed a lot locally -- by newspaper columnists, talk radio hosts and message board maniacs. Everybody seems to have a scenario in which the Lobos can get invited to the NCAA Tournament even if they lose in the conference semifinals.

No way.

So, then, I guess the first facet of my scenario is clear.

The Lobos must advance to the finals of the MWC Tournament. UNM's resume is devoid of quality wins, at least those that sparkle enough to impress the committee. Playing in the conference title game likely will get the Lobos three games each against MWC's top shelf: BYU and UNLV. Three shots at those two teams would give the Lobos a better chance of achieving the next aspect of my scenario ...

The Lobos must take two of three from BYU or UNLV: UNM already has been blown out by both teams. That hurts. Erasing this blemish begins Tuesday night when the Lobos face BYU at The Pit, it's the first of consecutive home games against the conference's targeted teams. Beating one of these teams twice during the next few weeks should stand out enough to get the Lobos dancing -- even if UNM falls to the other in the MWC title game.

See, it's simple.

Without these two steps, the Lobos are a lock for the NIT.

That's evident in their resume ...

The Good

RPI. According to ESPN's Joe Lunardi the Lobos rank 44th, placing them third in the MWC behind BYU (27) and UNLV (31)
Record. No team in the conference has more wins than UNM (22-6)
MWC strength. Lunardi also ranks the Mountain West as ninth nationally.

The Bad

No big wins. The Lobos victim with the highest RPI is Texas Tech (53), but the Red Raiders won't get an at-large bid
Weak schedule. Of 341 Division I teams, the Lobos schedule strength is 167th. In non-conference games its 258th. That's what Presbyterian (327), Loyola Marymount (297) and Eastern Washington (287) gets you.
Fifteen of the Lobos 22 wins came against teams ranked 151st or lower. UNM is 0-3 versus the teams with a top 50 RPI. UNM also lost to TCU (195).

*****

At least one voter for the Associated Press top 25 poll thinks the Lobos are the MWC's best team. Bill Riley, who works for KALL-AM radio in Salt Lake City, gave UNM its lone vote in this week's poll. He didn't vote for any other MWC teams.

Swimming and wrestling champs crowned ... You'll never guess who

2008-02-24T11:40:00.000-08:00

And now the results from the most predictable championship weekend in all of New Mexico high school sports.

Wrestling

Rio Rancho (Class 5A), Belen (4A) and Robertson (1A-3A) all won team titles at the Santa Ana Star Center.

Again.

The Rams have won seven of eight. The Eagles earned their fifth-staight championship. The Cardinals have won eight of 11.

Impressive? Of course. However this dominance, across all classes, saps much of the drama and buzz from the team competition.

On an individual level there is plenty to hook casual fans. Upsets can and do happen -- in the 125-pound class No. 1 ranked Seth Chavez, from Albuquerque High, lost to No. 2 Louis Trujillo of Rio Rancho. But, at the group level, there's not much reason to watch the scoreboard.

Career achievements in wrestling always shine brighter. Max Ortega of Rio Rancho and Robertson's Jake Martinez each won their fourth state title Saturday. Only ten other wrestlers have ever done that.

Ortega should win his fifth next season. If -- I should probably say when -- he does, Ortega will be the second wrestler in history with five state titles. The other was Michael Scott Owen, who squeegeed the mats with his opponents from 1994-98.

For the complete results, click here.

Swimming

On the surface the La Cueva girls team's state title looks like a twist, a departure from the usual.

It's not.

Albuquerque Academy might have dominated the pool recently, winning three straight crowns before this season. But in the past 15 years two teams have dominated girls swimming: Academy and -- you guessed it -- La Cueva. The Bears and Chargers have zipped their way to 14 titles in that time.

The boys side was no different. Academy won its third straight state title and eighth in 10 years. The Chargers accumulated nearly twice as many points (406) as second place Sandia Prep (206).

Again this is impressive, but it's not where the excitement comes.

Many of the individual races are riveting. Even with a heavy favorite in the water drama exists, because of history. In swimming, state records can only be set at the state meet, so it's the only chance for the elite to prove themselves against all-time greats. This can't be replicated in basketball, football or baseball.

Saturday featured two record-setting performances.

Academy's 200 meter medley relay -- Preston Feinberg, Elliot Feng, Marcus Guttman, Kelani Kaula -- broke Eldorado's 15-year-old record. Sandia Prep's relay team also broke the record, but finished behind the Chargers.

Sandia Prep's Kate Nelson set the 100 breaststroke record, bettering a time swam by Hobbs' Kannon Betzen in 2006.

Last, but not least, Manzano's Marissa Campbell won the fifth state title of her career. The senior took the two freestyle sprints, the 50 and 100.

For the complete results, click here.

Continuation and expansion ... About this blog

2008-02-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

This is the first post, but this isn't exactly a new blog.

I started it when I was a sportswriter at the defunct-as-of-today Albuquerque Tribune.

Eighteen months and 246 posts later it moves here, to Blogspot.com. I changed the name and the scope. Rather than focusing solely on New Mexico high school sports, I will write about all sports in the state.

I've worked as a sports journalist in this state since 2000, starting at the Round Up (New Mexico State's student newspaper) then moving to the Las Cruces Sun-News and finally The Tribune. For the past couple months and into the indefinite future, I write freelance articles on UNM men's basketball that appear on national Web sites.

In the coming weeks I'll have game stories, columns and tidbits on the state basketball tournament and Lobos hoops among other things.

Here's a link to my Tribune blog.