The final regular-season tournaments tip-off this weekend, marking the last opportunity for teams to fine-tune their rosters before the home stretch of district play in New Mexico high school basketball. Today, we dive into the first-round matchups of the Hope Christian Tournament and the Santa Rosa Tournament.
Hope Christian Tournament​
Bloomfield (6-7) vs. No. 5 (4A) St. Pius X (10-4) Time: 10:30 AM | Location: St. Sebastian Gymnasium, St. Pius X
Prediction: St. Pius X should cruise past a struggling Bloomfield team, which recently lost to Zuni. Sartans dominate 77-55.
No. 6 (3A) West Las Vegas (9-4) vs. No. 3 (4A) Artesia (9-5) Time: 1:30 PM | Location: St. Sebastian Gymnasium, St. Pius X
Prediction: Artesia faces a tough matchup against West Las Vegas, but the Bulldogs’ depth and well-oiled offense give them the edge. Artesia wins 70-58.
No. 11 (4A) Taos (8-5) vs. Shiprock (2-11) Time: 4:30 PM | Location: Hope Christian
Prediction: Taos rolls over a struggling Shiprock squad, 69-44. The size and depth of the Tigers overwhelms a struggling Chieftains program.
No. 9 (3A) Hot Springs (10-4) vs. No. 1 (4A) Hope Christian (7-6) Time: 7:30 PM | Location: Hope Christian
Prediction: Hot Springs is coming off a statement win over No. 3 (3A) Santa Fe Indian, but now they face a tough challenge against top-ranked 4A Hope Christian. The Huskies' depth and talent prove too much, as they overpower the Tigers, 65-49.
Players to Watch
Hope Christian:Junior Brayden Giron, a 6-6 sharpshooter, presents a defensive nightmare for opponents with his range and size.
Hot Springs:Tristan Polanco (2026) and Adrian Gomez (2025) provide depth; expect the Tigers to make noise this weekend, even if they fall short in the opener.
Bloomfield:Xavier Abernathy is the team’s key player to watch.
St. Pius X:A balanced effort led by Mason Montoya (2025) and Carson McConnell (2025) fuels the Sartans.
Artesia:The "Junior Bulldogs" trio of Charlie Campbell (2026), Braylon Vega (2026), and Clay Kincaid (2026) leads the charge.
West Las Vegas:The Kensey brothers, Deshaun and Devaughn, bring immediate impact talent to the Dons.
Taos: Malakhai Ely is poised for a dominant game against Shiprock. The senior big man, averaging 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game, is likely to post a double-double.
