Tohatchi boys advance to state quarterfinals with win over NMMI

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

TOHATCHI

The Tohatchi Cougars advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 NMAA Nusenda Credit Union Boys Basketball State Championship with a double-digit win over the New Mexico Military Institute Colts on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Myka Candelaria led Tohatchi offensively with 24 points and continued to anchor the Cougars’ inside game. Younger brother Myles Candelaria, a sophomore, added 14 points, while junior Nash Brewer provided a key spark off the bench with eight. NMMI was led by Tyler Colburn with 13 points.

The Colts used its size advantage early. With four starters standing more than 6 feet tall, NMMI attacked the paint and jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the first six minutes of the game. Myka Candelaria helped steady the Cougars late in the quarter, scoring six points in the final two minutes, but the Colts held a 16-8 lead after the first period.

“I believe our players were nervous because of their height,” Tohatchi head coach Kendall Livingston said. “They had a first-quarter knockout and put us on our backs. We had to make adjustments.”

The second quarter marked a complete turnaround. Tohatchi stormed out of the huddle and outscored the Colts 22-12 to take a 30-28 lead at halftime. Darium Peshlakai opened the scoring with a quick jumper before the younger Candelaria created a three-point play off a steal and breakaway layup. A 3-pointer by Myles gave Tohatchi its first lead of the game at 19-18 with four minutes remaining, sending the capacity crowd into a roar.

Brewer then emerged as an unlikely scorer, knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers to keep the Cougars in front. He later added a breakaway layup off a turnover before Myles capped the quarter with another 3-pointer to give Tohatchi the halftime advantage. Livingston credited Brewer’s second-quarter performance for sparking the turnaround.

“Nash coming off the bench was the spark we needed,” he said. “It got the whole team and the crowd going and kept the momentum on our side.”

The Cougars continued to build momentum in the third quarter. Tohatchi outscored NMMI 18-7 while forcing more than 10 turnovers, including six steals, to stretch the lead to 48-35. Candelaria added eight points during the run as the Cougars’ full-court pressure disrupted the Colts’ offense. The crowd remained energized throughout the quarter, helping fuel Tohatchi’s defensive effort.

The final quarter focused on clock and ball management. NMMI scored early to trim the deficit, while the Cougars worked to control possession and limit mistakes. Tohatchi went scoreless for the first three minutes before Candelaria slipped behind the defense for a basket that kept the lead at nine, 50-41. From there, the teams traded baskets down the stretch as Tohatchi closed out the game.

Livingston praised the play of his senior post.

“Myka dominated tonight,” Livingston said. “He gains attention and the defense collapses on him, and he dishes it back out to the guards. They move it to the corner and feed it back inside so he can go to work in the paint.”

He also pointed to the play of the Cougars’ baseline cutter as creating easy scoring opportunities.

“We have a play where one of our players runs the baseline,” Livingston said. “Usually, it’s one of our smaller guys so they stay hidden behind the taller defenders.”

Looking ahead to the next round, Livingston emphasized the importance of finishing strong.

“Closing out the game, I told the boys we just needed to avoid mental mistakes,” he said. “That keeps teams from getting back into it late.”

The victory may also mark one of the final postseason games played inside the Tohatchi High School gym. Just a few yards away, construction continues on the school’s new campus, which will include a gymnasium expected to seat nearly 2,000 Cougar fans.

Tohatchi will face top-seeded St. Michael’s (23-5) in the quarterfinals Wednesday afternoon at 4:45 p.m. at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

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