Hobbs Eagles Defeat La Cueva Bears 65-37 in Metro Quarterfinals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.</em> — In a thrilling quarterfinal matchup of the Albuquerque Metro Basketball Championships on Wednesday, January 7, the Hobbs Eagles (12-2) overpowered the host La Cueva Bears (6-4) with a commanding 65-37 victory at La Cueva High School.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This 16-team tournament blends top Class 5A and select Class 4A squads in an exciting bracket featuring consolation rounds for extended action. Hobbs, coached by Joe Carpenter, entered the contest at 11-2, averaging a sharp 56.8 points per game and riding a wave of back-to-back wins. La Cueva, under head coach Marisa Cogan, stood at 6-3 with a 55.9 scoring average and similar momentum from recent victories.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles wasted no time asserting dominance, jumping to a 20-8 lead after the first quarter. They extended the advantage to 29-18 by halftime and poured it on in the third, outscoring the Bears to take a 46-31 edge into the final period before cruising to the 28-point win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hobbs' superior depth and versatile playmakers shone brightly on both ends of the floor. Standouts included junior [player_tooltip player_id='583274' first='Kacelynn' last='Muniez'], senior [player_tooltip player_id='831119' first='Matysen' last='Zepeda'], and eighth-grader Xoey Ross, whose collective efforts overwhelmed the Bears.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Muniez led the charge with a team-high 21 points, catching fire from beyond the arc with <strong>five</strong> three-pointers. Zepeda chipped in 10 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, while the budding Ross added 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For La Cueva, standout [player_tooltip player_id='648191' first='Jordyn' last='Dyer'] — the No. 1-ranked player in New Mexico's 2026 class and a Pacific signee — carried the load with a game-high 22 points, plus 6 rebounds and 2 steals. The dynamic guard battled fiercely, scoring at all three levels with physicality, but she was the only Bear to reach double figures.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What's Next</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles advance to the semifinals, facing the winner of Kirtland Central vs. Volcano Vista on Thursday, January 9, at 5:15 p.m. at Del Norte High School. Hobbs looks poised to keep rolling in this high-stakes tournament!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->