March Madness Unleashed: Epic Upsets and Clutch Wins at The Pit

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Buckle up — March 2026 delivered pure electricity under The Pit's iconic rafters! The Nusenda Credit Union Girls Basketball State Championships crowned new heroes and etched unforgettable moments on Friday, March 13. Three classes — 4A, 3A, and 2A — battled for supremacy in a day packed with defensive wars, clutch shots, and championship heart. From a shocking upset ending a dynasty to a freshman's game-winning triple at the buzzer, here's how it all went down!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 3A Championship – 3:00 p.m.</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 2 Santa Fe Indian Braves 43, No. 1 Navajo Prep Eagles 35 (UPSET!)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a defensive slugfest! The back-to-back defending champs, Navajo Prep Eagles (26-3 entering, led by Coach Rainy Crisp), aimed for a historic three-peat, but the Santa Fe Indian Braves (25-6, Coach Khadijha Jackson) had other plans.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This rematch of their January clash (Navajo Prep won 46-43) turned into a gritty, low-scoring battle with three lead changes and five ties. Both teams mixed man-to-man and zone defenses, creating chaos and missed shots all afternoon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Navajo Prep controlled the tip and jumped to an early 6-1 lead, ending Q1 up 10-8. The Braves flipped the script by halftime (17-15 lead) and stretched it to 25-21 after three quarters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Late drama exploded: With 22 seconds left, Navajo Prep trailed 38-35, after they hit a clutch three to make it a one-possession game. Timeout. Braves inbound full-court… and delivered! Two free throws, then a steal and fast-break layup plus the and-1 for the dramatic three-point play sealed it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Santa Fe Indian won despite struggling from the field (14/50, 28%) and abysmal beyond the arc (1/13, 7.7%). Their secret? Domination inside — outscoring the Eagles 26-8 in the paint — and relentless drives. They hit 14/23 free throws (60.9%) to stay alive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior star [player_tooltip player_id='648199' first='Kaydence' last='Riley'] was a force: 10 points (team-high), 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks — double-double heroism with passion and energy. Senior Brittany Whitney added 9 points (including the Braves' lone three) and 8 boards for timely toughness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Braves snap Navajo Prep's 23-game win streak, claim the title, and finish 26-6. Dynasty denied — new champs rise!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 2A Championship – 5:00 p.m.</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 1 Mesa Vista Trojans 49, No. 3 Tatum Coyotes 47 (WALK-OFF THRILLER!)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pandemonium in The Pit! Defending champs Tatum Coyotes (25-6, Coach Michael Davis) battled the top-seeded Mesa Vista Trojans (28-2, Coach Jesse Boies) in a physical, heart-pounding showdown with just two lead changes and three ties.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Coyotes won the tip, but the Trojans erupted on a 6-0 run. Mesa Vista led 16-7 after Q1 and tied it 22-22 at halftime. Tatum surged ahead 38-31 after three.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crunch time: With 31.5 seconds left, the Trojans cut it to 46-43 on free throws. Tatum then split a pair (47-43). Mesa Vista answered with a transition three of their own (47-46). Next, Tatum missed two free throws at 13.2 seconds. The Trojans grabbed the rebound — with 9.5 seconds left, freshman phenom [player_tooltip player_id='1648702' first='Aaliyah' last='Boies'] drained the go-ahead, game-winning triple at 3.8 seconds!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Comeback complete: The Trojans overcame being crushed on the glass (outrebounded 58-31) and zero bench points. They shot poorly overall (15/51, 29.4%) and from deep (5/26, 19.2%), but willed it through.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1648702' first='Aaliyah' last='Boies'] was unstoppable: game-high 24 points (three threes, including the dagger), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals — supreme confidence for a freshman. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1262037' first='Aubrey' last='Maestas'] added 11 points with toughness and poise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mesa Vista rides a 22-game win streak to 29-2 and their first state title in school history. Instant classic!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 4A Championship – 7:00 p.m.</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">No. 1 Kirtland Central Broncos 52, No. 2 Gallup Bengals 33 (DEFENSIVE MASTERCLASS!)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rematch revenge! District rivals and 2025 finalists met again — Kirtland Central Broncos (28-3, Coach Devon Manning) vs. defending champs Gallup Bengals (27-4, Coach Todd McBroom). The Broncos owned the season series 2-1 and came hungry.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Broncos' 2-3 zone (with disruptive full-court press bursts) frustrated Gallup, who stuck to man-to-man. Bengals won the tip and led 9-8 after Q1, but Broncos exploded to a 24-17 halftime edge, then opened the second half with a 7-0 run. They cruised to 33-22 after three and never looked back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Efficient dominance: No bench points, but starters delivered. The Broncos shot 19/47 (40.4%) from the field, 6/18 from three (33.3%), and a perfect-ish 8/9 free throws (88.9%).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1068199' first='Allyson' last='Tsosie'] (sophomore sensation) was everywhere: game-high 17 points, 10 rebounds, 6 steals — double-double brilliance on both ends. [player_tooltip player_id='1058912' first='Elaina' last='Clani'] (junior guard) added 15 points and 2 steals with crafty drives and solid play. Together, 32 points and 8 steals — total control.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Broncos finish 29-3 and capture their 22nd state championship in program history. Dynasty reloaded!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a day of high school hoops magic — upsets, buzzer-beaters, and crowning moments. Congrats to the 2026 champs: Santa Fe Indian (3A), Mesa Vista (2A), and Kirtland Central (4A)! The Pit lived up to the Madness!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->