District 5 Hoops at the 2024 Northern Rio Grande Tourney Recap
Week 6: New Mexico 2A District 5 High School Hoops Recap
January 4th - January 6th
It was a big weekend at the 2024 Northern Rio Grande Tournament, with all six District 5 teams in attendance. Here is a recap from this year's Boys basketball games at the tournament.
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| This week's "Tip of the Hat" award goes to McCurdy's Lucas Martinez who scored his 1,000th career point versus Mesa Vista. Nice work, young fella. |
Thursday, January 4th
Espanola, New Mexico
Northern Rio Grande Tournament
Mesa Vista Trojans - 68
McCurdy Bobcats - 70
This was a great game to start off the weekend, and the game immediately lived up to the hype. Mesa Vista started off hot, hitting several outside shots in transition. The Trojans were leading 16-6 midway through the first quarter before McCurdy went on the first run of several between the two teams throughout the game. Senior Guard Ryan Montoya had 10 points and went 3 of 3 from three-point range in the first quarter. By the end of the first, the Bobcats had taken the lead, 22-20.
By the 5:20 point in the second quarter, the Trojans had retaken the lead, 27-25, after a nice off the glass three by Andres Valdez from the top of the key. Then, that’s when the Bobcats went on their own run, finishing the second quarter with a 36-35 lead, after a Judah Duran jump shot before time expired.
McCurdy came out on fire in the third quarter, up by twelve points by the 5:20 mark. The Bobcats’ outstanding Senior Wing Lucas Martinez scored nine points in that stretch of the third. The last basket of those nine points gave Lucas 1,000 points for his high school basketball playing career. That’s an incredible scoring output. Congratulations to Martinez.
The Bobcats weren’t done there. They extended their lead to 18 points up until the 1:50 mark when Jordan Gallegos got a bucket in the paint for Mesa Vista. The Trojans had narrowed down the lead to twelve at the end of the third, 61-49.
Once the fourth quarter began, Mesa Vista continued chipping away at that McCurdy lead. Junior Forward Salvador Saavedra played big in the fourth, scoring two tough baskets in the paint with some contact. Saavedra finished the game with 10 points. By the 1:50 mark, the Trojans had cut the lead to four, 68-64. They made several good defensive plays and scored two more quick baskets in under a minute to finally tie the game at 68 points, after being down 18 points at the same mark in the third quarter. Remarkable comeback by the Trojans here.
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| Santiago Martinez finishes a break away for Mesa Vista during a big comeback in the second half versus McCurdy. |
With 00:48 seconds left in the game, McCurdy Guard Judah Duran hit 1 of 2 free throws to give the Bobcats the one-point lead. Lucas Martinez then hit 1 of 2 free throws with 00:13 seconds left to go up by two, 70-68. The Trojans had a chance on the last possession to tie or take the lead with a three, but Ryan Montoya stepped up and made a big steal with a few seconds left to seal the victory for McCurdy. Big time players make big time plays. There it is.
Outstanding win for McCurdy. Ryan Montoya led the way for the Bobcats with 24 points. Lucas Martinez scored 19 points, and Judah Duran scored 11 points for McCurdy. Outstanding game for Mesa Vista despite the loss. Jordan Gallegos played big as usual with 28 points. Marcos Martinez finished with 15 points for the Trojans, also. This one was a classic, and a great way to start off the 2024 NRGT.
Mesa Vista Trojans vs McCurdy Bobcats - 2024 NRGT - Game Highlights
Thursday, January 4th
Espanola, New Mexico
Northern Rio Grande Tournament
Penasco Panthers - 51
Mora Rangers - 54
This was the first game versus a fellow District 5 opponent for Penasco this season. The Rangers won all four meetings between the two teams last season. This was a close game throughout. Penasco had a 31-29 lead, early in the third quarter but began to get cold from the field. Mora took the lead with a Dante Alcon three, 32-31. The Rangers extended their lead, 36-31 before the Panthers stormed back to finish the third quarter with a 37-36 lead after an Angel Romero basket with time expiring. Romero made another big shot early in the fourth, giving Penasco a 40-36 lead.
Penasco extended their lead to five points, with 2:36 left in the fourth, after a basket by Demarcus Lopez. Mora wasn’t down though. By the 1:20 mark, the Rangers had taken the lead, 51-50. After a free throw from each team, Mora’s standout Guard Lincoln Alcon sealed the win for the Rangers with two free throws with just 00:02 seconds left.
This one was a good one. Mora improved to 6-2 on the season with the win. Penasco fell to 3-7 despite holding their own throughout the game with the team tied for first place in the district.
Thursday, January 4th
Espanola, New Mexico
Northern Rio Grande Tournament
Questa Wildcats - 32
Pecos Panthers - 73
The Wildcats knew this game was going to be a long one when the brackets for the NRGT were released. Even after losing nine seniors from last year’s state championship team, Pecos looks like a team that will be in the thick of it come playoff time. And naturally, if Questa wants to get to that level, taking your lumps against a program like Pecos will only benefit them down the road.
The Panthers jumped out early, up 23-5 about midway through the first quarter. Pecos extended their lead to 36-8 by the end of the first quarter. Senior Guard Joshua Gonzales led the way with 16 points in the first half for Pecos. By the half, the Panthers led 52-15.
The Wildcats had trouble moving the ball against the Panther’s press early on, forcing multiple turnovers. In the midst of a tough game, the Wildcats still got decent offensive production from Senior Forward Antonio Romero who scored 13 points. Junior Guard Carlos Ortega added 7 points for Questa.
The Panthers held on in the second half for the big win before advancing to play Mora on Friday.
Thursday, January 4th
Espanola, New Mexico
Northern Rio Grande Tournament
Dulce Hawks - 37
Escalante Lobos - 67
The last game of the opening night of the NRGT was Escalante versus Dulce. The Hawks did well hanging in there with Escalante, only down three, 15-12, after the first and down nine, 33-24 at the half.
The second half was when the Lobos played big on defense, holding the Hawks to 13 points and outscoring them by 21 points. There were no stats available from this game. With the win, the Lobos improved to 6-2 on the season, and still tied with Mora for first place in the district.
2024 Northern Rio Grande Tournament Boys Bracket
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| 2024 NRGT bracket with scores. |
Friday, January 5th
Espanola, New Mexico
Northern Rio Grande Tournament
Mesa Vista Trojans - 78
Dulce Hawks - 51
Mesa Vista came into this game a two point loss to McCurdy that included a big comeback to tie. There was no let down for the Trojans in this game. They came out sharp early, leading 27-11 near the end of the first quarter. By the end of the second, Mesa Vista led 43-24.
The second half was more of the same. Center Jordan Gallegos had 20 points early on in the third before sitting out most of the second half. The Trojans led 64-31 with 2:04 left to go in the third. Dulce Senior Forward James Johnson played big for the Hawks in the loss, scoring 22 points. Mesa Vista improved to 3-4 on the season.
Friday, January 5th
Espanola, New Mexico
Northern Rio Grande Tournament
Questa Wildcats - 35
Penasco Panthers - 73
For a Questa team still trying to get in a rhythm offensively this season, this was a step in the right direction. The fact the Wildcats made it to play this game was notable in itself. When asked about playing with only seven players on the roster for this game, Questa coach Mike Rael said, “(The) school canceled our trip this morning because of snow at the last minute. (We) decided we were going – could only round up seven after that.”
The Wildcats came out playing well early in this one, with a 7-2 lead after a long Antonio Romero three-point shot. Penasco Forward Neamiah Chavez then scored the next six points to get the Panthers on the board. By the end of the first quarter, the score was tied 15-15.
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| Questa's Antonio Romero hits a long three in the first quarter versus Penasco. |
Early in the second quarter, the Panthers began a hug run the Wildcats would not be able to wrangle. Penasco’s leading scorer in the first half was Demarcus Lopez, with 15 points. Dylan Lopez also added 12 points in the first half for Penasco. The Panthers led 39-24 by the half.
Penasco continued to play well in the third quarter. Nehemiah Chavez had 16 points for the Panthers by the time the Panthers led 50-26. Penasco finished the game strong, winning 73-35. Outstanding game rebounding and defensively for the Panthers.
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| Penasco's Demarcus Lopez shoots over a Questa defender for a three during the 2024 NRGT. |
If there’s a silver lining to this game, aside from the good offensive team output early on; Questa Freshman Guard Covo Cardenas looks like a player. He made several good plays on both ends of the court and showed good court vision distributing the ball.
Questa Wildcats vs Penasco Panthers - 2024 NRGT - Game Highlights
Northern Rio Grande Tournament
Pecos Panthers - 66
Mora Rangers - 61
The rematch between these two teams from the outstanding game they played on opening night had an eerily similar feel early on. The Rangers had a lead early before the Panthers caught up halfway through the first quarter. Pecos led by the end of the first, with the score 22-20. By late in the second quarter, the Panthers had extended their lead to eleven points behind three three-point shots from Senior Guard Lawrence Ragland. This kid can shoot.
In the third quarter, Mora was never too far out of it. The Rangers played good defense in the second half, forcing several turnovers, and pulling to within four at the end of the third, 51-47. Pecos Senior Forward Joshua Gonzales had four fouls by late in the third quarter, so he was out much of the fourth which was a big help for Mora.
The crowd was restless by the start of the fourth, with a scuffle breaking out in the stands and some folks having to be removed. By the 5:19 mark, the Rangers had tied the game, 54-54. Josh Gonazels then fouled out for Pecos with 4:22 left. Mora had the cards in their favor going down the stretch, but that was before Lawrence Ragland made another big three, putting Pecos up 57-55, with 3:04 left. Mora pulled to within two, 62-60, with 00:43 seconds left before the Panthers hit several more free throws and a basket by Ragland to seal it.
Lawrence Ragland finished with 22 points for the Panthers. Xavier Valencia had a big game also for Pecos, scoring 15 points. Lincoln Alcon led Mora in scoring with 19 points. Jeremiah Pacheco and Derik Duran each scored 9 points for Mora. It didn’t turn out the way they wanted it, but Mora, for the second time this season, gave the defending 2A state champions all they could stand.
Friday, January 5th
Espanola, New Mexico
Northern Rio Grande Tournament
McCurdy Bobcats - 78
Escalante Lobos - 85
This was another great game. Escalante started off hot and led by 8-0 early in the first quarter. Luka Torrez then got two fouls early around this time and missed much of the first half. The Lobos still led 18-13 after the first quarter.
The second quarter is when things got crazy. There were a total of ten lead changes in this quarter. Through this stretch, McCurdy Junior Guard Judah Duran and Escalante Senior Forward Adamacio Bustamante went back and forth hitting buckets until the Lobos had a six-point lead at the half, 37-31. Emilio Espinoza played well in the first half for McCurdy, scoring 8 points.
Towards the midway point of the third quarter, the Lobos had begun to pull away a bit, with an eleven-point lead. Sophomore Forward Richard Trujillo played big in the third quarter for the Lobos converting two three-points plays from the foul and free throw. Ryan Montoya played huge for McCurdy during the third also, pulling the Bobcats to within six, 56-50, by the end of the third.
Early in the fourth quarter, Damien Baeza and Luka Torrez hit back-to-back threes with 6:08 left for the Lobos, making the score 66-52. The fourteen-point lead was their largest of the night. That’s when McCurdy’s outstanding Guard Judah Duran scored nine points with a three-minute span. Duran is a player to watch out for. By the 3:19 mark, the Lobos had cut the lead down to three points. The two teams went back and forth trading baskets until the Bobcats cut the lead down to 77-75 around the one-minute mark. Multiple Escalante players hit their free throws the rest of the way, to finish with a seven-point win.
Ryan Montoya showed why, even as a Junior, he is one of the best players in District 5. Montoya scored 31 points in the loss. Judah Duran scored 16 points all together, after the outstanding second half effort. Jeremaya Roybal played well also, scoring 14 points. Lucas Martinez also scored 12 points for McCurdy.
Luka Torrez showed why he was last season’s district player of the year, scoring 29 points. Par for the course for Torrez. Richard Trujillo finished with 16, and Adamacio Bustamante scored 11, and Damien Baeza scored 8 points for the Lobos. The Lobos then advanced to the NRGT championship game to take on the Pecos Panthers.
Saturday, January 6th
Espanola, New Mexico
Northern Rio Grande Tournament
Dulce Hawks - 71
Questa Wildcats - 46
The Hawks led throughout this one, leading 28-17 at the half. Dulce had a big second half, out-scoring Questa 43 to 29. Dulce was led in scoring by Michael TeCube with 18 points. Forward James Johnson scored 17 points for the Hawks also.
After a tough weekend in Espanola, there is a silver lining in that the production Questa is getting offensively from individual players like Ortega and Romero is steadily increasing. Ortega will be an important part for the Wildcats next season, along with Freshman Guard Covo Cardenas. They will definitely need them to play well this season if Questa is going to improve as a whole. The Wildcats fell to 3-8 after the weekend. Their next game is on Tuesday, January 9th, in Springer against the Red Devils.
Saturday, January 6th
Espanola, New Mexico
Northern Rio Grande Tournament (Consolation Championship Game)
Penasco Panthers - 50
Mesa Vista Trojans - 75
The Trojans led 22-7 after the first quarter, and 41-16 at the half. Report from Mesa Vista Coach Thomas Vigil was that Marcos Martinez shot the ball well. There were no stats available from this game.
With the win, the Trojans won the Consolation Champions Trophy for the Boys half of the NRGT. Mesa Vista improved to 4-4 on the season, after a tough opening month schedule. Coach Vigil has to be pleased with his team after this weekend. Their next game will be on Tuesday, January 9th, on the road against Santa Fe Prep.
For the Panthers, they held their own with a good Mora team right up until the end, got a win over Questa and finished with a tough Saturday game against Mesa Vista. It wasn’t an ideal weekend for the Panthers, but they can hang with the district leaders when they play their game. After the loss, the Panthers fell to 4-8 on the season. Their next game will be at home against the ECAOGCA Eagles from Albuquerque. The Eagles won the first matchup between the two teams on December 5th.
Saturday, January 6th
Espanola, New Mexico
Northern Rio Grande Tournament (3rd Place Game)
Mora Rangers - 50
McCurdy Bobcats - 52
This game between the two teams playing for third place got off to a slow start, with McCurdy leading, 11-7, at the end of the first quarter. There wasn’t much more scoring in the second quarter, either. McCurdy struggled from outside in the first half, aside from Ryan Montoya who hit three shots from downtown. The Rangers were able to tie it at 17-17 by the half.
The biggest lead of the second half for either team in this game was only six points. The two teams began to heat up in the second half. McCurdy Guard Judah Duran hit two three-pointers in the third quarter. Lucas Martinez hit two three’s himself during the third, including one at the buzzer to end the quarter.
The Bobcats jumped out to a six-point lead early in the fourth after another three by Lucas Martinez and an And 1 by Ryan Montoya. Mora’s Senior leader, Lincoln Alcon, immediately hit a three for the Rangers. Mora got a few more baskets to tie it at 41-41, before Montoya went back down court and hit another three for the Bobcats. By late in the fourth, the Rangers had taken the lead, 48-47. Ryan Montoya again made a big play late, going down court and getting an And 1, to give the Bobcats a 50-48 lead. Mora tied it with a basket to make it 50-50. And, once again, this time with the game in the balance, Ryan Montoya drove the lane and drew a foul with 00:02 seconds left. He then hit two free throws to seal it. Big time finish for Monotya. What else can you say?
Montoya led the way for the Bobcats with 27 points. Lucas Martinez scored 11 points, and Jeremaya Roybal scored 7 points for McCurdy. Mora’s standout Guard, Lincoln Alcon, finished the game with 22 points for the Rangers. Jeremiah Pacheco scored 10 points for Mora, also.
With the win, the Bobcats improved to 5-5 on the season. A third place finish with Escalante and Pecos being the two teams in front of you is not bad at all. Coach Espinoza has to be pleased with where his team is following this weekend. The Bobcats continue to play well. McCurdy’s next game is at home versus the Jemez Valley Warriors, on Tuesday, January 9th.
For Mora, it wasn’t a bad weekend, either. They got a W. They held their own with Pecos for the second time this year and were right in position to win this McCurdy game. After the loss, the Rangers fell to 6-4 and are in second place in District 5 behind Escalante.
Saturday, January 6th
Espanola, New Mexico
Northern Rio Grande Tournament (Championship Game)
Pecos Panthers - 78
Escalante Lobos - 46
Coming into this game, Pecos had won the last three meetings between the two teams. It was more of the same for this year’s NRGT matchup. The Panthers were outrunning the Lobos early, leading 22-10 after the first quarter. Pecos standout Joshua Gonzales played big with ten points in the first quarter alone.
The Lobos went on a 9-0 run to start the second quarter, bringing the score to 22-19. Behind a tough defense, the Panthers were then able to get the lead back up to eleven by the end of the half, 36-25. The Lobos kept to within around ten points in the beginning of the third, but the Panthers extended their lead to sixteen points by the end of the quarter.
Pecos continued to pour it on in the fourth quarter. Lawrence Ragland played big for Pecos, scoring 20 points. Joshua Gonzales finished the game with 16 points for Pecos, also. Luke Torrez led the Lobos in scoring with 14 points.
It was a tough way to end the NRGT for the Lobos, but they got a chance size themselves up against this year’s fellow teams in the district and also found out they what level they’ll have to play at next time against Pecos, who basically their ticket stamped to Albuquerque in March every year. Escalante falls to 7-3 with the loss, but they are now in first place of District 5. Their next game will be on Tuesday, January 9th, on the road to play the Cuba Rams from 3A District 5.
Current 2A District 5 Standings
A very special thank you to everyone at KDCE radio in Espanola for their amazing coverage and broadcast of this year’s NRGT. It was a lot of fun to listen to, and it would not have been possible to cover these games as thoroughly without them. Outstanding work.
For more coverage of 2A District 5 and other Class 2A teams, as well as teams from around the state of New Mexico throughout the season, including recaps and game highlights, please visit cwmartinsports.blogspot.com and youtube.com/CWMartinSports.
All footage and photos come courtesy of nfhsnetwork.com.
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