Chargers Surge Past Spartans 56-37 in District Showdown

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>BERNALILLO, N.M.</em> — The Albuquerque Academy Chargers flipped the script on the road Friday night, turning an early deficit into a commanding 56-37 victory over the Bernalillo Spartans in a key 4A District 6 matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Academy (now 15-4 overall), riding a four-game winning streak and averaging 56.6 points per game under head coach Joshua Skarsgard, won the opening tip and weathered a slow start. The Spartans (19-2, 13-2 at home) jumped ahead 13-8 after the first quarter behind Gabriella Dominguez's hot hand — the freshman scored nine of her team-high 10 points in the opening frame, attacking in transition and the half-court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But the Chargers' overwhelming positional length took over from there. Academy exploded for a 17-3 run in the second quarter, seizing control and never looking back. They led 25-16 at halftime and extended the advantage to 41-28 after three quarters, suffocating Bernalillo on both ends with dominant interior play and rebounding.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Star trio [player_tooltip player_id='839425' first='Harper' last='Dunn'], [player_tooltip player_id='1068212' first='Lily' last='Skarsgard'], and [player_tooltip player_id='648196' first='Adeline' last='Spratley'] powered the offense, combining for 46 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No. 1-ranked 2027 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='839425' first='Harper' last='Dunn'] was a force inside, pouring in a game-high 20 points. The 6'6" dynamo used her elite length to shoot over defenders, showcased crisp footwork for buckets — including several with her left hand — and dominated defensively with blocked shots and rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='1068212' first='Lily' last='Skarsgard'] added 16 points, including three triples that stretched the floor. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='648196' first='Adeline' last='Spratley'] chipped in 10 points with crafty drives and finishes around the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dominguez was Bernalillo's lone double-figure scorer, but the Spartans struggled to generate consistent offense against Academy's size and physicality.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What's Next</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Chargers (15-4) return home to host La Cueva (11-7) in a non-district clash Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1:00 p.m.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bernalillo (19-2) heads to Valley (2-17) on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->