Holiday Classic: Wingate comes up short to Hot Springs

By Truman Begaye
Special to the Times

WINGATE, N.M. – The 2024 Wingate Boys Holiday Classic concluded with the championship matchup between the Wingate Bears and the Hot Springs Tigers, where the Tigers secured a 52-43 victory.

Led by junior Tristan Polanco’s 24 points and senior Adrian Gomez’s 14 points, Hot Springs overwhelmed the Bears to claim their second consecutive tournament title.

“Coach Bean does a great job with Hot Springs,” said Wingate head coach Al Martinez. “They’ve won the tournament two years in a row. They’re probably one of the better teams as far as being well-coached,”

Entering the finals after two tournament wins, the Bears aimed to challenge the Tigers’ backcourt.

“Whoever their point guard is or their No. 2 guard, we’re going to be picking them up hard at the half,” Martinez said.

Hot Springs opened the first quarter strong scoring 15 points, with senior guard JJ Contreraz netting the game’s first basket. The Bears answered with 12 points, led by sophomore guard Matthew Whitehair, who opened Wingate’s scoring by going 1-for-2 at the line.

Whitehair and sophomore forward Arwin Thompson contributed key points to keep the Bears within striking distance, trailing 15-12 heading into the second quarter.

In the second quarter, Polanco and Gomez powered the Tigers’ offense, combining for 10 points.

Meanwhile, the Bears managed eight points, with contributions from Mathew Whitehair, senior guard Clarence Whitehair, and Thompson.

The Tigers held a slim 25-20 lead at halftime.

Polanco dominated the third quarter, scoring eight points for Hot Springs. Senior Brandon Baca added a free-throw line, bringing the Tigers’ total of nine for the quarter.

On the Bears’ side, Thompson, Whitehair, and senior forward DeShawn Tsosie combined for six points. Although the quarter remained competitive, the Tigers extended their lead to 34-26 heading into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter, Gomez led the Tigers with 10 points, while Contreraz and Polanco added eight more to round out an 18-point quarter.

Despite the Bears’ best efforts, led by Whitehair’s 11-point surge, Wingate was outscored 18-17. The Bears couldn’t close the nine-point gap, and the game ended 52-43 in favor of the Tigers.

Hot Springs head coach Derek Bean reflected on the team’s performance and strategy.

“One [key] is managing the crowd. I think Al puts on a great tournament,” Bean said. “We hang our hat on defense—it’s our way of playing—and we slowly grind down and do what we want to do. Control the tempo, and we should be OK.”

Bean also expressed pride in winning the Winter Classic for the second consecutive year. “Being able to win this tournament is an honor. It’s a huge pleasure because it’s hard. It’s three days of tough, fast, big basketball—a different brand of how we play,” he said.

As this year’s Wingate Winter Classic concludes, most teams will take a short break for the holidays before returning to the court in January.

The Wingate Bears will resume play on January 2 against the Jemez Valley Warriors and prepare for their District 1-3A season opener on January 15 with a rematch against the Crownpoint Eagles.

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