2A Laguna Acoma, 3A Navajo Prep advance into the semis Crownpoint, Newcomb girls fall

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

RIO RANCHO, N.M.

Two area teams advanced while two others saw their seasons come to an end Tuesday during quarterfinal play at the 2026 NMAA Girls Basketball State Championship at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

Laguna Acoma and Navajo Prep secured semifinal berths, while Crownpoint and Newcomb were eliminated.

Laguna Acoma advances to 2A semifinals 

Fourth-seeded Laguna Acoma (26-4) advanced to the NMAA Class 2A semifinals with a 47-38 win over fifth-seeded Clayton (20-10).

Junior Jaysie Garcia led the Hawks with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, while senior Brianna Carrillo added 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Laguna Acoma opened the game with defensive pressure, forcing Clayton turnovers to build a 15-6 lead in the first quarter. The Hawks maintained their nine-point advantage in the second quarter, adding seven points to take a 22-13 lead into halftime.

Clayton swung momentum in the third quarter, outscoring the Hawks 18-11 to cut the lead to one possession, 33-31. Carrillo helped keep Laguna Acoma ahead with seven points in the quarter.

The Yellowjackets briefly took a 34-33 lead with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before the Hawks responded to regain the advantage at 35-34. After several minutes of strong defensive play by both teams, Garcia scored to extend the lead to 37-34.

Laguna Acoma closed the game on a 10-4 run to secure the victory.

Hawks head coach Mary Garcia said her team had to adjust after losing a player in the second quarter.

“Losing a player in the second quarter factored into our third quarter play,” she said. “We had to go deeper into our bench rotation than we normally do.”

Garcia said her message during a third-quarter timeout focused on composure.

“We have to calm it down and play our game,” she said. “The score shouldn’t take us out of the game.”

Laguna Acoma will face top-seeded Mesa Vista (27-2) in the semifinals Thursday at 9:45 a.m. at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

Robertson holds off Crownpoint 

Robertson (23-8) held off a late rally by Crownpoint (20-10) to earn a 40-36 win in a Class 3A quarterfinal matchup.

Senior Courtney Craig led the Lady Eagles with 21 points, including nine in the fourth quarter.

Robertson led 12-9 after the first quarter. Crownpoint struggled offensively in the second period, shooting just 3-of-21 from the field in the first half as the Cardinals outscored the Lady Eagles 10-3 to take a 22-12 lead into halftime.

Crownpoint played more evenly in the third quarter, outscoring Robertson 11-10 behind five points from Craig and four from Holly Jiron.

The Lady Eagles continued to close the gap in the fourth quarter, outscoring Robertson 13-8, but the Cardinals controlled the final possessions to secure the win.

Crownpoint finished the season with a 20-10 record, including a 9-3 mark and a second-place finish in District 1-3A.

Navajo Prep rolls past Tohatchi

Top-seeded Navajo Prep (25-3) picked up its 22nd straight win with a commanding 48-33 triumph over No. 8 Tohatchi (18-14). The Lady Eagles’ defensive pressure dictated the game, forcing 17 steals.

Freshman Dejahnelle Denetso scored a game-high 15 points and recorded six steals, while fellow freshman Taylor Begay added nine points and 10 rebounds. For Tohatchi, senior Shylynn Johnson led with 11 points while freshman Jhett Dale added eight.

Both teams shot similar percentages from the field, with Navajo Prep shooting 34% and Tohatchi 31%. Both teams also struggled from 3-point range, combining to shoot 3 of 23. Navajo Prep made the difference at the free-throw line, converting 14 of 26 attempts.

Denetso and Jayden Conn each scored four points in the first quarter to help the Lady Eagles build a 12-6 lead.

Navajo Prep extended the lead to 25-16 at halftime with balanced scoring from five players, led by Nataya Serrano with four points.

The Lady Eagles pulled away in the third quarter, forcing six steals while holding Tohatchi to 2-of-16 shooting from the field. Navajo Prep outscored the Lady Cougars 12-6 to take a 37-22 lead into the final period.

With the outcome decided midway through the fourth quarter, both teams emptied their benches.

Navajo Prep head coach Rainy Crisp said facing Tohatchi for the fourth time this season added pressure.

“It’s scary to consider facing the same team four times, especially when they have a win in the series,” Crisp said. “But of all those games, this was the most important one to win.”

Crisp also praised the play of Denetso.

“She’s an up-and-coming player who played excellent defense,” Crisp said. “Her quickness made a difference for our team.”

Navajo Prep will face fifth-seeded Cobre (22-8) in the semifinals Thursday at 8:15 p.m.

Santa Fe Indian defeats Newcomb

Santa Fe Indian defeated Newcomb 51-28 to advance to the Class 3A semifinals.

Senior Kaydence Riley recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Lady Braves, while Tonie Riley added 11 points.

Newcomb struggled with ball control, committing 27 turnovers, and allowing 14 steals.

Makya Nelson led the Skyhawks with eight points off the bench, while Lethia Yazzie added eight and Aaliyah Yazzie contributed six.

Santa Fe Indian set the tone early, outscoring Newcomb 15-4 in the first quarter and 18-7 in the second to take a commanding 33-11 halftime lead.

The Lady Braves continued to extend the margin in the third quarter before Newcomb outscored Santa Fe Indian 9-4 in the fourth.

Santa Fe Indian (24-6) will face Robertson in the semifinals. Newcomb finished the season with a 19-10 record.

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