Roundball Roundup: RR squads take tourneys, Spartan girls steal one in Grants

It was a big opening weekend for basketball, and we already have some tournament winners to speak of.

Here is how last week went for the Rams, Storm and Spartans on the hardwood (12/1-12/7):

Rio Rancho High Boys Basketball

Rams’ Head Coach Steve Heredia told the Observer before the season that you will see a tough, grimy brand of basketball from his team this season.

He wasn’t lying.

Rio Rancho, now 5-0 on the season, won the City of Champions Classic in Artesia this past weekend. In a tourney that quickly turned into a Ram clinic, Rio outscored its opponents 211-116 in the three games combined, including a 79-44 win over a talented Artesia team in the first place game.

Trophies aside, it has been quite the start for Heredia’s first campaign at the helm. The Rams have not allowed more than 45 points in their first five games, keeping their opponents under 32 in two of those meetings. It all started with a runaway 75-29 win over Los Alamos.

On the offensive side, it has been a collaborative effort. Rio’s strong senior group has been headlined by names like Cayden Richardson and Chris Lucero, with junior Noah Lovato and sophomore Dashon Bynum contributing as well. Each game has had a different look in the stat book, showing off the capabilities of the Rams’ depth.

Rio Rancho is off to one of its best starts in program history, as not even the Rams’ championship-winning seasons of 2007 and 2016 saw a 5-0 start. But the sample size is still small, and the road will only get tougher. The Rams will now gear up for the RRHS Holiday Tourney and the APS Metro Tourney within the next month.

Rio Rancho Girls Basketball:

No, you aren’t seeing double.

While the boy’s team is off to a 5-0 start with a tourney trophy, the Rams’ girls have opened their season with a 4-0 record and some hardware of their own.

Coach Lori Mabrey’s squad took first place in the Gallup Invitational this past weekend in western New Mexico, topping the Gallup Bengals 43-38 in the championship game.

Rio Rancho opened its season right before Thanksgiving with a blowout 71-29 win over West Mesa. That dominance carried over into the invitational, defeating Pojoaque Valley 52-9 and Tohatchi 72-13.

At the forefront of the Rams run is Madi Martinez, who scored double figures in all three tournament games, including a 27-point outing against Tohatchi.

Complementing the sophomore guard is Larissa Martinez and Daysia Jack, both putting together strong tournaments to earn all-tourney honors along with Madi’s tournament MVP title.

Rio’s run has been legit, but just as aforementioned with the boys’ team, Mabrey’s team will have to prepare for tougher battles on the horizon. The Rams will get ready to host the Mel Otero Tournament on Dec. 11-13, facing the Centennial Hawks to open tourney play.

Cleveland High Boys Basketball:

While the Storm boys have yet to play in a tournament, they have made some statements in their opening week.

Cleveland stacked wins on the road in Los Lunas and Clovis, winning both contests by 28 points or more.

Remy Albrecht and Ajay Vigil appear to be the Storm’s 1-2 punch once again this season, with the two dominating box scores through two games. Albrecht and Vigil combined for 52 of the Storm’s 76 points in their win over Los Lunas.

It feels as if Cleveland will go as far as Remy can take them, with MaxPreps naming Albrecht New Mexico’s top player across the state heading into this season.

Cleveland’s big first test will come this week in the Phil Griego Invite, with the Storm set to face off against Miyamura in the opener.

Cleveland High Girls Basketball:

The Cleveland girls battled hard up in Santa Fe this past weekend, taking home third place in the Bobby Rodriguez Tournament.

Stacy Pokorski’s second year as head coach starts with a 2-1 record, winning games against Valencia and Miyamura. The Storm fell just short against a talented Farmington team to knock them into the consolation bracket, defeating the Patriots the following day for the bronze finish.

Pokorski’s high-tempo system has benefited her guards so far, with Erin Winters, Malia Mose and Danae Elzy all averaging double-digit points through the first three games.

The scoring ability is there, but its consistency will be key going forward. A prime example of this is Cleveland’s 12-point first half against Farmington, putting them in a 15-point hole, which was followed by a 31-point second half to bring them back into striking distance.

We will see if the Storm can keep their foot on the gas in their next matchup: a non-district meeting with the Santa Fe Demons.

Bernalillo High Boys Basketball:

It has been a rocky start for the Spartans’ boys, falling to 1-4 with a 0-3 run on the Sun Devil Invitational this past weekend.

Bernalillo dropped its opener against Manzano before rebounding with a win against Moriarty at home. In their invitational, the Spartans had the challenge of taking on some talented programs, such as Sandia Prep and Robertson.

While it is not the start they wanted, there is plenty of road left for a turnaround. Bernalillo sports a roster on the younger side, with just four seniors of the 12 rostered names, still finding their footing.

Bernalillo will have an opportunity at a bounce back when they take on Miyamura on the road.

Bernalillo High Girls Basketball:

Three games, three wins for the Spartans’ girls.

After two dominating wins against Manzano and Moriarty, Bernalillo capped off an excellent opening week with a 57-56 victory over Grants on the road.

Bernalillo outscored the Pirates 20-13 in the fourth quarter to steal the win, with three different Spartans posting double figures. Freshman standout Jillian Lovato scored a team-high 18 points while juniors Kailani Trancosa and Trinity Calabaza both tallied 11.

This “big three” has impressed early on for the Spartans, with the freshman Lovato being quite the complement to the junior duo.

Head Coach Ashley Duran’s team is off to another hot start, but unlike last season, they want to make it last. It all starts with getting some revenge against Santa Fe Indian, who also sports a 3-0 record and defeated Bernalillo last season, in a weekday non-district meeting.