Gallup girls reclaim home tourney

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

GALLUP – The Gallup Lady Bengals reclaimed the John Lomasney 49th Annual Gallup Girls Invitational Basketball Tournament championship trophy with a commanding 56-40 victory over the Albuquerque High Lady Bulldogs (3-2) on Saturday evening.

Senior center and tournament MVP Rylie Whitehair made her presence known early, scoring 10 of her 20 points in the first quarter before encountering foul trouble. Gallup’s other post, Kayden Tsosie, stepped up in her absence as she contributed 19 points.

The Lady Bengals set the tone early. Whitehair opened the game with a score, and Tsosie followed with an old-fashion three-point play to give Gallup a quick 5-0 lead.

Albuquerque’s 8th-grade phenom Abby Pavia answered with a layup and a three-pointer, but those would be her only first-quarter points as Gallup’s defense applied relentless full-court pressure.

Gallup head coach Todd McBroom emphasized that his club is a pressing team.

“(It’s) how we play,” McBroom said, “95% of our defensive strategy is to press. We get up and down and we play.”

Offensively, the two Gallup post players scored 17 of the Bengals 19 first-quarter points as they showcased their impact early.

Foul trouble, however, forced Whitehair to the bench in the second stanza as she was whistled for two fouls.

Junior guard Natalie Dixon and Tsosie, however, kept the offense humming. Dixon repeatedly attacked the basket, drawing fouls and going a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. Tsosie added four points while Whitehair chipped in a basket for a 29-20 halftime lead.

Pavia led the Bulldogs with six points in the period, including two free throws earned against Whitehair.

The third quarter highlighted Gallup’s depth. Whitehair scored five points but picked up two additional fouls, limiting her minutes. Tsosie drained a three, while sophomore guard Payton Johnson and junior forward Camria Cooper-Randels added to the tally as the Lady Bengals edged Albuquerque 15-14 in the quarter, extending their lead to 44-34.

Pavia continued to battle for the Bulldogs, scoring eight of her team’s points.

Reflecting on the team’s resilience, McBroom noted, “Rylie sat on the bench a lot of the game. When that happened last year, we always lost. This just shows the girls have matured and improved their game this year.”

In the final quarter, the Lady Bengals’ defense clamped down, holding Albuquerque to just six points—all scored by Pavia.

For Gallup, Tsosie led the way with five points, including three free throws. Whitehair, Dixon, and Johnson also contributed to seal the victory as the Bengals earned their fifth win of the season.

Gallup’s efficiency at the charity stripe (14-of-19) and four three-pointers—two from Tsosie—highlighted the team’s balanced attack.

Albuquerque struggled to find offensive help for Pavia, who finished with an impressive 25 points. No other Bulldog player scored more than five.

McBroom praised his team’s performance: “You have to know Albuquerque is a top-five team in 5A, they just beat Volcano Vista the other night, and this shows how good of a team we are. If we play to our capabilities, we shouldn’t lose. To beat a team like this by 16 is a quality W.”

When asked about defending Pavia, McBroom said, “We just played our game and stepped out to defend her when she tried to shoot from the outside. We did a good job containing her.”

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