Week 5 Standout Players: Holiday Hoops

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Though the Christmas holiday paused much of the action on December 24 and 25, Week 5 of the 2025-26 New Mexico girls' high school basketball season still brought plenty of excitement through in-season tournaments and key non-district games. Several young stars stepped up with impressive performances, lighting up the court despite the shortened schedule. Here are the top standouts, listed by graduating class!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Player - School (Class Year)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='828815' first='Jaysha' last='Hawkins'] - Las Cruces (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hawkins led the Bulldawgs with a team-high 11 points and 6 rebounds in a convincing 56-35 road victory over the Wildcats (5/9 FG, 1/2 FT).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='648198' first='Taylianna' last='Castillo'] - Silver (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Castillo dominated all week, powering the Colts to blowout wins over West Las Vegas (64-19) and Cobre (76-49). She averaged an eye-popping 19.5 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.5 steals per game (14/27 FG, 3/8 3P).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='901174' first='Samaria' last='Brown'] - Bernalillo (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown delivered a commanding double-double with a team-high 12 points and 12 rebounds, guiding the Spartans past Española Valley, 50-38 (6/13 FG).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1262037' first='Aubrey' last='Maestas'] - Mesa Vista (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maestas shone brightly in a perfect week for the Trojans, who rolled to wins over the Rams (53-37) and ATATC (56-38). She averaged 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='839464' first='Justinne' last='Altamirano'] - Silver (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Complementing her teammate perfectly, Altamirano fueled Silver's 2-0 week with efficient scoring. She averaged 17.5 points and 3.0 steals per game (14/21 FG, 4/8 3P, 3/4 FT).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Desi Martinez - Santa Fe (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Martinez carried the Demons to a hard-fought 50-45 road win over Clovis, pouring in a game-high 16 points as the only Santa Fe player in double figures.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Amaya Gonzales - Santa Rosa (2029)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gonzales stuffed the stat sheet in spectacular fashion, leading the Lions with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 8 steals, and 2 blocks in a 42-25 win over the Panthers (6/12 FG, 2/6 3P, 2/5 FT).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kayleen Pino - Alamo Navajo (2030)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The young standout contributed 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 steals to help the Cougars defeat the Thunderbirds, 48-33.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These performances highlight the depth of talent across New Mexico, from seasoned upperclassmen to rising freshmen making early impacts. As the season heats up post-holidays, expect even more fireworks on the court!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>**Statistics via MaxPreps**</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->