Huskies Storm Bernalillo, Snap Spartans’ Perfect Run

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>BERNALILLO, N.M.</em> — In a high-stakes 4A district showdown on Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Hope Christian Huskies stormed back from an early deficit to hand the previously undefeated Bernalillo Spartans their first loss of the season, 66-60.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Spartans (18-1, 12-1 at home) burst out hot, jumping to an 8-0 lead and taking an 8-5 advantage after the first quarter, behind strong interior play and defensive pressure. But the Huskies (now 16-3, 9-2 away) flipped the script in the second with relentless full-court pressure that disrupted Bernalillo's ball-handlers and sparked a momentum-shifting run. Hope Christian led 26-18 at halftime and never looked back, extending the gap to 51-35 after three quarters in a dominant third-period explosion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, the Huskies stuck to tenacious man-to-man principles, while the Spartans countered with a mix of 2-3 zone looks and 1-2-2 presses after makes or free throws. The Huskies' balanced attack proved too much, as four players reached double figures in a true team effort full of timely plays and unselfish ball movement.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior [player_tooltip player_id='648212' first='Mia' last='Bishop'] led the way with a team-high 19 points (17 in the second half), dominating the paint as the 6'1 center attacked the rim, drew fouls, and finished strong. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='839433' first='Bri' last='Bishop']<strong> </strong>poured in 15 points — all in the first half — draining pull-up jumpers off the dribble before a hand injury sidelined her for most of the second half. Senior Jocelyn Willis added 12 points, stretching the floor with three clutch triples. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1233322' first='Adalynn' last='Day'] contributed 11 points and 5 assists, creating off the bounce and scoring at all three levels. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1267244' first='Louisa' last='Landavazo'] dished a team-high 7 assists to go with 6 points, consistently finding open teammates for big shots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Bernalillo, freshman sensation Gabriella Dominguez erupted for a game-high 21 points (including five triples, 17 in the second half), bringing relentless energy on both ends. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='901174' first='Samaria' last='Brown'] matched her intensity with 20 points (14 after halftime), using her length for pull-ups and second-chance putbacks. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1058927' first='Kailani' last='Trancosa'] added 4 points and 7 assists, pushing the tempo and keeping teammates involved.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Huskies' pressure and balanced scoring ultimately proved decisive in snapping Bernalillo's 18-game win streak.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>What's Next</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hope Christian (16-3) returns home to host Academy (11-4) on Friday, Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bernalillo (18-1) looks to bounce back against Del Norte (4-10) on Friday, Jan. 23 at 7:00 p.m.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->