The 2024 New Mexico high school basketball state tournament pressed on as teams journeyed to the Albuquerque Metro area, gearing up to compete at either the University of New Mexico Arena, affectionately known as The PIT, or at the Rio Rancho Events Center in Rio Rancho. The quarterfinals for the 5A and 4A divisions unfolded at The PIT, while the 3A and 2A divisions battled it out at the Rio Rancho Events Center. 1A Boys and Girls will also tip-off today at Bernalillo High School. #nmpreps

Related: 2024 State Tournament Schedule, Scores, and Highlights

Related: 2024 Girls Basketball Quarterfinal Recaps and Highlights

#1 Volcano Vista 69, #8 Santa Fe 42 - Final

By Anthony Johnson

The Volcano Vista Hawks sure looked every bit the best team in New Mexico tonight, easily getting by Santa Fe 69-42 and punching their ticket to the Final Four. The Hawks got six points apiece from David Lunn and Kenyon Aguino in the opening quarter in route to a 17-5 lead after one. Things didn't get any better for the Demons in the second as the Hawks stretched their lead to 37-16 at the midway point. Aguino scored eight of his teams 20 second quarter points. Any hopes of a Santa Fe were quickly put to bed as the combination of Aguino and Lunn was just too much for the Demons. Lunn hammered home a thunderous dunk to put Volcano Vista up 58-28 with 1:30 left in the third. The Hawks put it on cruise control in the fourth quarter, setting up tomorrow nights matchup with La Cueva. Can the Bears put a stop to the Hawks 18-game winning streak? We will find out tomorrow night at 8:15.

Aguino finished the game with 23 points to go along with 11 rebounds, Lunn had 13 and Hudson Brown finished with 12. For the Demons, Lukas Turner had 13 points and Joe Gonzales added 8.

#2 Organ Mountain 57, #7 Los Lunas 32 - Final

In a game that lacked much drama, the 2-seed Organ Mountain Knights cruised to a convincing 57-32 victory, securing their spot in the Final Four. Seizing control early, the Knights never relinquished their lead, dominating every aspect of the game.

Organ Mountain capitalized on their opponent's mistakes, scoring 19 points off turnovers, while also dominating in the paint with 34 points. Their efficient shooting, boasting a 48% field goal percentage, further solidified their commanding performance.

Leading the charge for the Knights was Brandon Kehres, who delivered an impressive performance with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Yehnhi Wilson contributed 11 points and 2 rebounds, providing valuable support to the team's offensive efforts.

Despite the loss, Jalin Holland and Isaiah Juarez led the scoring for Los Lunas, with Holland tallying 10 points and Juarez adding 11 points. However, their efforts were not enough to overcome the Knights' dominance on both ends of the court.

With this resounding victory, the Organ Mountain Knights advance to the Final Four with confidence and momentum, ready to face their next challenge on the path to championship glory.

#5 La Cueva 80, #4 Atrisco Heritage 70 - Final

In a thrilling showdown that electrified the crowd, the 5-seed La Cueva Bears roared into the Final Four with a spectacular fourth-quarter surge, toppling the 4-seed Atrisco Heritage Jaguars. Trailing 58-54 at the end of the third quarter, the Bears launched a sensational 12-1 run to kick off the final period, propelling them into the lead. Despite the Jaguars' determined efforts to mount a comeback, the Bears held firm, fending off any late-game resurgence to secure their victory.

From the opening tip-off, the game brimmed with energy, with both teams locked in a fierce battle. The first quarter ended with the score deadlocked at 20 apiece, setting the stage for a closely contested matchup. Throughout the game, La Cueva asserted their dominance in the paint, outscoring Atrisco Heritage 38-26, a key factor in their eventual triumph.

Leading the charge for the La Cueva Bears was Daniel Lovato, who delivered a stellar performance with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Brandon Bartlett and Eric Jacobsen added significant contributions, with Bartlett tallying 14 points and 3 assists, while Jacobsen notched an impressive double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Adding to the Bears' momentum was Dylan Chavez, whose emphatic dunk ignited a crucial shift in momentum, propelling his team to victory. Chavez ended up with 15 points on the day.

Despite the Jaguars' valiant effort, led by standout performances from Latavious Morris, who poured in 30 points, and Marquise Renfro, who contributed 23 points, they ultimately fell short. Both guards showcased outstanding talent, speed, and quickness throughout the game, but were unable to overcome one cold quarter. Kadarius Sims chipped in with 10 points for the Jaguars, but it wasn't enough to withstand the Bears' relentless onslaught.

With this thrilling victory, the La Cueva Bears punched their ticket to the Final Four, fueled by their resilience and determination. The Bears will face the winner between #1 Volcano Vista and #8 Santa Fe.

#11 Albuquerque 59, #14 Sandia 49 - Final

By Anthony Johnson

Sandia raced out to an early 10-6 lead, thanks in large part to a pair of three's by 8th grader Isaiah Brown. The Bulldogs closed the quarter 6-2 and it was just two-point game after one. The second quarter seesawed back and forth, while not high scoring it was great action as both teams kept battling. Damian Langford buried a corner three from an out of bounds play at the buzzer, giving the Bulldogs a slim 28-27 lead. The teams were tied at 34 with 3:45 left in the third, but the Bulldogs used a 7-2 burst to head to the fourth quarter with a 41-36 lead. The Bulldogs kept the moentum going in their favor with a 8-2 open to the fourth quarter to take their advantage to 49-38 with 4:10. The Matadors could only trim the deficit as close as seven as the Bulldogs went on to win 59-49.

Albuquerque High was led by Isaiah Maldonado who finished the game with 17 points, Langford chipped in 13, Kasyn Atanasaoff-Perea added 12 and Ethan Oetzel rounded out the scoring with 10 points. For the Matadors, it was Brown leading the way with 12 points and Gad Harris with 10.

#1 Highland 61, #8 Grants 50 Final

By Anthony Johnson

Grants gave Highland all they could handle, but in the end the Hornets behind 17 Jesus Licon points pulled away late to punch their ticket to the Final Four. The Pirates opened the game 7-3 and held a 13-10 lead after the first quarter but in the second quarter the Hornets turned up the defensive pressure. Highland limited the Pirates to just two points through the first nearly seven minutes of the second quarter, taking a 26-15 lead with 1:33. Grants finished the half scoring the last five points to trim their deficit to 26-20. Grants took a brief 27-26 lead but Highland reeled off a 12-4 run to lead 38-31. Grants trailed by five after three and cut it to four with 2:33 but couldn't get any closer to the top-seeded Hornets as they went on to win 61-50. Highland will face St. Pius tomorrow evening, winner moves on to 4A title game.

Licon paced the Hornets with 17 points and 7 rebounds, Isai Herrera finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Raul Stanford chipped in 12 points. For Grants, Boudy Melonas led all scorers with 27 points and Dominick Gonzales added 8.

#2 Valley 73, #7 Lovington 33 - Final

To say the Valley Vikings are playing like a team with a point to prove and a chip on their shoulder would be an understand. The Vikings through two games of this years state tournament have won by 41 and 40, easily coasting into the Final Four with a dominant 73-33 win over Lovington. The Wildcats played it close and actually led 3-0 but it was short-lived as a Diego Miscles-Rivera bucket put Valley up 5-3 and the Vikings never looked back. Buoyed by four three-pointers by Tyler Kozlowski in the second quarter, the Vikings opened the second with a 10-0 run and took control of the game with a 23-4 second frame to take a 34-11 halftime lead. Kozlowski added two more three's in the third quarter to give him seven for the game and a game-high 23 points before both coaches emptied their benches and played the majority of the second half with bench players.

The Vikings will play Hope Christian on Thursday at 3pm with a trip to the 4A state championship game up for grabs.Kozlowski added 4 assists to go with his 23 points, Rosendo Roybal added 13 points and in total the Vikings had 12 players register points in the box score. Demarcus Thompson Jr led Lovington with 7 points with Julian Arroyo, Kayle Covington, and Jojo Perez each adding 6.

#3 Hope Christian 67, #6 Artesia 61 - Final

By Anthony Johnson

Same month, different year, same result; Hope Christian is on to yet another Final Four. The Huskies used a 15-5 run to end the first half and open the second to grab a 35-23 lead with 5:01 in the third quarter. From there, they stretched their lead to 47-30 heading into the fourth quarter. Noah Perry was a man on a mission, powering the Huskies to a 22-point edge with 4:58 left. The Bulldogs, who struggled to find their offensive stride majority of the day were not done yet though. The feisty Artesia squad reeled off 9 straight points and an extended 15-2 run to get themselves within single digits at 60-51 with 2:05 to go. The Bulldogs ran out of gas and the Huskies advanced with a 67-61 victory. They will now face the winner of Valley and Lovington.

Perry led the Huskies with a game-high 21 points, Nathan Saavedra added 18 and Brayden Giron finished with 11. Jarren Wadkins paced Artesia with 20 points, Charlie Campbell had 17 and Diego Wesson 10.

#5 St. Pius X 60, #4 Albuquerque Academy 58 - Final

In a somewhat lackluster game that gained intensity in the final minutes, the Albuquerque Academy Chargers fell just short of a comeback against their crosstown rivals, the St. Pius X Sartans, who emerged victorious with a narrow 60-58 win, securing their spot in the Final Four. Throughout the game, St. Pius X dominated the paint, outscoring Albuquerque Academy 32-18, and received a significant boost from their bench, contributing 24 points compared to Albuquerque Academy's 4.

St. Pius X took control early and maintained their lead for most of the game, jumping ahead to a 12-6 lead in the first quarter, which extended to a 26-18 advantage at halftime. With six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Sartans held a 43-33 lead, but the Chargers mounted a late comeback attempt. Trimming the deficit to 56-54 with 1:20 left on the clock, thanks to a crucial three-pointer by Jack Johnson, the Chargers sparked hopes of a turnaround. The game was tied at 56 with just 48 seconds remaining. However, Crystian Perea's two crucial free throws with 34.9 seconds left put St. Pius X ahead 58-56. Despite the Chargers narrowing the gap to 58-57 with 17 seconds left, Perea sealed the victory for St. Pius X with two more free throws, making it 60-57 with 6.1 seconds remaining, ultimately securing the win. A late free throw by the Chargers brought the final score to 60-58 in favor of the St. Pius X Sartans.

Leading the Chargers' charge was Justin Mask, who tallied 22 points, 4 steals, and 4 rebounds, while Joe Jack contributed 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists.

For St. Pius X, Jason Montoya led the scoring with 15 points, supported by Mason Montoya with 10 points, each contributing 5 rebounds. St. Pius X displayed efficient shooting, hitting 53.5% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc. Albuquerque Academy also shot 44.4% from the field but struggled from three-point range, shooting 31.3%. However, both teams faced challenges at the free-throw line.

St. Pius X now moves on to play the winner of the #1 Highland and #8 Grants game, both of which are District 5-4A opponents.

You can find scores from the 3A New Mexico High School Basketball State Tournament at our State Tournament Home

#4 Hot Springs 57, #5 Bosque 48 - Final

In a highly anticipated showdown between the #4 Hot Springs Tigers and the #5 Bosque Bobcats, the stage was set for a thrilling battle on the basketball court. From the outset, the Bosque Bobcats asserted their dominance, applying pressure and dictating the tempo of the game, capitalizing on turnovers to secure quick points. Despite the early onslaught from Bosque, the Hot Springs Tigers remained resilient, staying within striking distance and adapting their strategy as needed.

As the first quarter drew to a close, Bosque held a slim lead of 17-15, having surged ahead by eight points before Hot Springs clawed back to trim the deficit to just two points.

The momentum continued to swing back and forth in the second quarter, with both teams trading baskets. Bosque's aggressive press defense proved effective, generating crucial points in transition and stifling Hot Springs' offense. Hot Springs struggled to find easy scoring opportunities against Bosque's relentless pressure.

Heading into halftime, Bosque maintained their lead with a score of 32-28. Kyle Morris led the charge for Bosque in the first half, pouring in 15 points, supported by Cooper Hautau with 8 points and Oliver Tumolo with 7 points. Despite Hot Springs' efforts, they trailed throughout the first half, with the score tied three times.

In the third quarter, Bosque continued their strong start, seizing a 34-28 lead. However, Hot Springs rallied back, with a pivotal three-pointer giving them their first lead of the game at 35-34. They extended their lead to 37-34 with two minutes remaining in the quarter.

In the end, Hot Springs emerged victorious with a final score of 57-48. Key players for Bosque included Kyle Morris, who finished with 19 points, and Cooper Hautau, who contributed 15 points and 8 rebounds. For Hot Springs, Adrian Gomez led the charge with 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Jacob Feits added 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Bosque finished the game with just 4 turnovers, while Hot Springs struggled with 15 turnovers. Hot Springs maintained consistent scoring throughout the game, averaging around 14 points per quarter, while Bosque faced challenges, particularly in the third quarter, where they struggled to score. Despite their efforts to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter, Bosque ultimately fell short against a resilient Hot Springs team.

Hot Springs moves into the Final Four

You can find scores from the 2A New Mexico High School Basketball State Tournament at our State Tournament Home

#3 Tularosa 55, #6 Texico 52 - Final

In a thrilling showdown at the Rio Rancho Events Center, the 2A New Mexico high school basketball state tournament quarterfinals unfolded with a nail-biting clash between the Tularosa Wildcats and the Texico Wolverines. As the buzzer signaled the end of the first quarter, Tularosa held a slim 18-12 lead over Texico.

The game erupted with Texico's relentless pressure defense, swiftly establishing a 4-0 lead in the opening minutes. However, Tularosa responded emphatically as Dillion Salazar sparked a comeback with a steal, free throw, and a crucial three-pointer, narrowing the deficit to 6-5. With both teams trading baskets, Tularosa managed to edge ahead, leading 11-10 with two minutes remaining in the quarter.

As halftime approached, the intensity of the game only intensified, with both teams showcasing a fast-paced, uptempo style of play. Tularosa and Texico engaged in a seesaw battle, exchanging buckets, and employing a ferocious pressing defense. Despite Tularosa briefly establishing a 27-19 lead, Texico rallied back, closing the gap to 29-27 just before halftime, thanks to adept scoring off turnovers and missed shots.

Entering the third quarter deadlocked at 29-29, Tularosa surged ahead with early baskets, fueled by Salazar's hot hand, who continued his scoring spree with a quick three-pointer. The Wildcats built a 36-33 lead, with Salazar and his teammate Jalen Randall orchestrating the offense brilliantly. Despite Texico's valiant efforts to stay within striking distance, Tularosa's guards continued to make pivotal plays, extending their lead to 45-40 by the end of the third quarter.

As the final quarter unfolded, the tension soared to new heights, with Texico mounting a fierce comeback. With just over a minute remaining, Tularosa clung to a narrow 51-50 lead, but Texico surged ahead with a steal and a clutch basket, taking a 52-51 lead with less than a minute on the clock. However, Tularosa remained composed, regaining the lead with crucial free throws and securing a hard-fought 55-52 victory. This despite three Texico attempts in the final :12.1 seconds of the game.

In this closely contested battle, Tularosa's Dillon Salazar emerged as the standout player, delivering a stellar performance with 23 points, including a remarkable 17-point effort in the first half. Estevan Barraza also made significant contributions in the decisive second half for the Wildcats scoring 10 points.

For Texico, Alex Fuentes led the scoring charge with 12 points, supported by Daltyn Cain's 11 points and 6 rebounds. Despite their resilient efforts, Texico fell just short in a game characterized by its intensity, showcasing only five lead changes but maintaining a razor-thin margin throughout.

Tularosa advances to the 2A Final Four.

You can find scores from the 1A New Mexico High School Basketball State Tournament at our State Tournament Home

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