Eagles, Cougars and Blues Newly Crowned Champs!

<p>The <em>2023 Nusenda Credit Union Girls Basketball State Championships</em> wrapped up play on Saturday 3/11/23 with the girls 1A & 5A title games. The 3A title game was played the day before on 3/10/23. Here is a brief recap!</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="has-text-align-center">5A Championship</h2>   <p>The 5A Championship featured two squads with championship pedigrees and familiarity with one another. This was the 3rd consecutive title game between the Hobbs Eagles and the Volcano Vista Hawks. </p>   <p>Hobbs came in having lost the previous two title games (2021 & 2022) but was the #1 overall seed this season. Volcano the defending back-to-back Champs, were this years #3 seed. </p>   <p>A major storyline heading into this contest was the absence of Hobbs forward [player_tooltip player_id='467050' first='Kyndle' last='Cunningham']. In the semifinals, Cunningham was ejected alongside, La Cueva guard [player_tooltip player_id='357673' first='Eva' last='Love']. The two got tangled up and went to the floor, which caused the closest official to come rushing in and separate the two. The collision happened rather quick and at first glance, one would've thought it was a standard tie up (jump-ball). But after further discussion amongst all three referees, both players were given flagrant fouls resulting in ejection. The consequences for Cunningham & Love, a 1-game suspension. Head Coach Joe Carpenter appealed the ruling but to no avail. </p>   <p>The loss of Cunningham posed an intriguing question of how they (Hobbs) would matchup vs Volcano in the title game, in terms of inside presence. Kyndle is versatile center that is solid around the basket and does a terrific job altering shots on defense - She had 9 points & 10 rebounds in the Elite 8 and had 10 points & 7 rebounds in the Final 4 up until she left the game </p>   <p>Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='467053' first='Jayla' last='David'], a 5'10” forward, stepped up to the task and logged a double-double against the Hawks, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. </p>   <p>Going into halftime it was just a two point game with Hobbs leading 21-19. BUT The 2nd half was a game of runs; Hobbs came out swinging on a 5-0 run forcing a Hawks timeout at the 5:20 mark in 3rd quarter. After 24 minutes it was Hobbs up 33-23.</p>   <p>A Hawks 7-0 run opened 4th, cutting the lead to 33-30. The Eagles then answered back with another 5-0 run taking their lead back to 38-30 which gave them enough breathing room to coast to victory. </p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='458555' first='Bhret' last='Clay'] had another double figure outing with 11 points, going 7-9 from the free-throw line. [player_tooltip player_id='467055' first='Nakia' last='Mojica'] who was the unsung mvp, stepped up once again and knocked down timely 3s. Mojica finished with 12 points making 3-4 three-pointers. </p>   <p>This was the Lady Eagles sixth straight appearance in the championship game and their 3rd State Title during that span. Hobbs finishes 28-3 and are the 2023 5A State Champions! </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/_NMAA/status/1634687585250611200 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="has-text-align-center">3A Championship</h2>   <p>The #4 Lady Cougars went into the 3A title game allowing just 30 points per game to opposing teams and forcing over 21 turnovers during their playoff run. Tohatchi continued playing stellar defense against #3 Santa Fe Indian School, as they forced 20 turnovers and held the Braves to just 24 points and en route to their State Title. </p>   <p>Tohatchi led for 30 of the 32 minutes of action and shot lights out in every aspect. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-table aligncenter is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Cougars</td></tr><tr><td>FG</td><td>15-29 (51.7%)</td></tr><tr><td>3PT</td><td>5-13 (38.5%)</td></tr><tr><td>FT</td><td>11-13 (84.6%) </td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Stats via NMAA</figcaption></figure>   <p>Junior guard, [player_tooltip player_id='560952' first='Brooke' last='Badonie'] led the way registering a game-high 12 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 7 assists, showcasing a complete game.</p>   <p>The Thohatchi Lady Cougars finished 24-9 and are the 2023 3A State Champions! </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/_NMAA/status/1634338535099731968 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="has-text-align-center">1A Championship</h2>   <p>Powerhouses collided in the 1A Championship game with #2 Roy/Mosquero facing #4 To'hajiilee. Both clubs entered the title game on impressive win streaks that each exceeded 15 games - Roy 19 game WS & To'hajiilee 16 game WS</p>   <p>The Blues outrebounded the Warriors 44-32 which was a big factor considering To'hajiilee had a better field goal percentage and attempted 18 less shots </p>   <figure class="wp-block-table aligncenter is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td></td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">R/M</td><td>To'hajiilee</td></tr><tr><td>FG</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">23-64 (35.9%)</td><td>23-48 (47.9%)</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Stats via NMAA</figcaption></figure>   <p class="has-text-align-left">The Lady Blues had three players with 13+ points and 7 or more rebounds! </p>   <p>Senior Tanna Crisp had a game-high 21 points (7-10FG) flashing crisp footwork and an all-around game. Crisp is solid around the basket, utilizing both a text book jump-stop in the lane and a smooth spin move for a layup. On the defensive side she has active hands and even took a charge. Tanna also logged 8 rebounds & 7 steals. </p>   <p>Sophomore guard Sylvania Baca, had a near 20-10 game with 18 points & 9 boards. Baca Also had 5 steals. [player_tooltip player_id='403407' first='Natalie' last='Smith'] chipped in with an impactful 13 points 7 rebounds & 4 assists! </p>   <p>The Roy/Mosquero Lady Blues end the 2023 season with 20 straight wins, finishing 28-2 and are the 1A State Champions! </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/_NMAA/status/1634625425392693248 </div></figure>

The 2023 Nusenda Credit Union Girls Basketball State Championships wrapped up play on Saturday 3/11/23 with the girls 1A & 5A title games. The 3A title game was played the day before on 3/10/23. Here is a brief recap!