Lady Scorps win showdown with Hobbs

By Santiago Ramos Jr.
Special to the Times

MORIARTY, N.M. – There’s a change at the top of the Class 5A girls state basketball polls this week. A role reversal between the top two squads.

In what could be a sneak preview for the Class 5A state championship finals in March at the Pit, previously No. 2 ranked Farmington held off top-ranked Hobbs in an intense 46-45 showdown Friday night at Moriarty High School gym. Now Farmington sits atop the rankings and Hobbs is second.

“Yes, could be,” third-year Farmington head coach Thomas Adair replied about Friday’s game being a state finals preview. “This was quite a game. Two years ago, we played in the Hobbs tournament and beat them in the finals. I’m really proud of my girls. They kept their composure. They did what we had to do.”

Friday’s home game for the Lady Scorpions was moved from Farmington to Moriarty as a neutral site so Hobbs would not have to make such a long drive.

The Farmington Lady Scorpions (15-1) appeared to be in control with a 44-38 lead over the Hobbs Lady Eagles (16-3) with 1:13 remaining in the game. This after senior guard Kapiolani Anitielu, who led all scorers with 23 points and was a perfect 7-for-7 at the line, buried both of her free throws. But Hobbs sophomore guard Aliana Armitage drove the baseline for a score that made it a four-point ballgame.

With the lead and with the ball and in the bonus, Farmington went to a spread offense to run some time off the clock before drawing a foul with 34 ticks left. Lady Scorpion sophomore forward Chenoa Parrish was fouled but missed both of her free throws. Hobbs was able to slice the Farmington lead down to two points on a turnaround jumper by junior guard Bhrett Clay at the 25-second mark.

Again, the Lady Scorps ran off valuable seconds before Parrish again drew the foul. With intense pressure on the sophomore guard, Parrish again failed to convert on either of her free throws with 17 seconds left in the game.

“She’s a sophomore,” Adair said of Parrish. “She’ll make it (the free throws) next time.”

But again, Hobbs was forced to foul to stop the clock with 2.9 seconds left in the game – this time sending sophomore guard Caris Dale to the free throw line. Dale sealed Farmington’s signature win over the state’s No. 1 girls team, burying both free throws.

With the final seconds ticking off, Hobbs’ Clay, who scored 10 of her 19 points in the final period, launched a half-court desperation three-pointer that incredibly banked off the backboard and into the net as the time expired, making the final spread just one point instead of four.

“We went to our delay game, and it was good,” said Adair, who returned three starters and nine players overall off last year’s team that lost to Las Cruces in overtime in the state quarterfinals.

“They’re a good team,” Adair said of Hobbs. “They’re well-coached. They’re excellent and they have very good athletes.”

Farmington and Hobbs had a poor shooting night from the field. The Lady Scorpions hit 18-of-49 for 37 percent shooting while the Lady Eagles shot a miserable 26 percent, 17-of-66. The free throw shooting proved to be a crucial stat.

Farmington converted on 7-of-12 in the pivotal fourth quarter, 10-of-15 for the game. Hobbs sank 10-of-19 for the game, 5-of-8 in the fourth.

The first half was evenly played, with the score being knotted five times along with a pair of lead changes. Farmington enjoyed its largest lead of the game at nine points, 31-22, in the third quarter.

Farmington kicked off its district play Tuesday, visiting No. 4 ranked Sandia (14-2). No score was available at press time. Farmington competes in the state’s toughest 5A district with four of the six District 2-5A teams currently ranked in the top 7 with No. 1 Farmington, No. 4 Sandia, No. 6 Eldorado and No. 7 La Cueva.

“We play in the toughest district in the state,” Adair said.

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