Roundball Roundup: Volcano stuns Rams, Cleveland escapes Farmington in district shake-up 

With Valentine’s Day upon us, there has been no love lost on the basketball court.

Here is everything you need to know from the hardwood this past week (Feb. 9- 13)

Rio Rancho boys basketball

On a week set for a Senior Night celebration, the Volcano Vista Hawks were quick to spoil the party.

The Rams fell to Volcano 61-59 on Tuesday night on a last-second shot from senior Finley Fitak, sending the Hawks back into first place in District 1-5A.

Rio Rancho is now 20-3 on the season, ending a cinematic four-game set with Volcano, splitting the meetings 2-2. If the Rams want to slide back into that first spot, they will now need help from their district counterparts, including rival Cleveland High, to knock off the Hawks.

The loss also ended a six-game win streak for the Rams, a run that began with a victory against Volcano on Jan. 23. Rio would respond with an 81-60 win over Cibola two days later on Senior Night.

Most teams in Rio’s position would focus on the upcoming postseason and their potential season, but with a regular-season rivalry finale on deck, all eyes are on next week. Rio Rancho’s cross-town rivals put on a show in the RAC to open the month. Will we get a worthy sequel in the Thunderdome?

Rio Rancho girls basketball

This most recent stretch has been a tough one for the Rio girls, dropping back-to-back games for the first time since early January.

The Rams went from undefeated in the district to now sitting in third place, as Farmington and Volcano Vista both topped Rio to jump them in the standings. 

With four players posting double-figure nights in the scorebook, the Scorpions were able to get revenge on the Rams after their loss in the RAC in January. The Hawks would also return the favor, avenging a 23-point loss two weeks ago with a six-point upset victory days later.

Unless Farmington or Volcano slips up in the final week of the regular season, the Rams appear to be out of the hunt for the one spot in 1-5A. Just like the boys, the girls will close their schedule with a rivalry matchup against Cleveland at the RAC ahead of the postseason.

Cleveland boys basketball

While the Rams bested the Storm last week, it could be Cleveland that gets the last laugh.

After the rivalry loss, the Storm went on to post three straight victories, including an important win at Farmington, 53-51.

Cleveland guard Remy Albrecht broke the 51-51 tie with a steal in the final seconds, finishing with a layup with four seconds to go to escape Scorpion Arena with the victory.

On top of the last-second win, the Storm took out Cibola and Piedra Vista along the way, with all eyes now directed at Cleveland for the final week of the season. Their schedule? Volcano Vista and Rio Rancho, both at home.

Sitting in third place in 1-5A, the electric blue could shake things up big time if they can get through this final gauntlet.

Cleveland girls basketball

The rollercoaster continues for the Storm girls, winning big against Cibola before falling to Farmington five days later.

Cleveland now sits at 11-12 on the season, but some important matchups still await on the horizon if the team wants to play spoiler.

The Storm will travel to face Volcano and Rio in the final week, two weeks after Cleveland was just a few plays away from upsetting the Rams in the Thunderdome.

If they can bring that same energy down the road, anything could happen in the RAC on Feb. 20.

Bernalillo boys basketball

It has been a year of tough timing for the Spartans in 2026. A down season for the program has combined with having to take on an uber-competitive 6-4A district.

Hope Christian, Del Norte and Albuquerque Academy will all cross the 15-win mark this season, including a 17-6, 6-0 resume from the Huskies.

The Spartans ran into that tough stretch of Husky-Knight matchups, now sitting at 3-21 on the year. They will look to close out their schedule with a win, set to face Albuquerque Academy and Valley High.

Bernalillo girls basketball

For the first time since the 2021 season, the Lady Spartans have crossed the 20-win mark.

Thanks to victories over Valley and Del Norte, Bernalillo can cross off another box on its season checklist, a checklist that still features the goal of getting back to The Pit.

Trinity Calabaza led the way in their most recent win over the Knights, scoring 14 with eight rebounds. Samaria Brown and Gabriella Dominguez also joined her in the double-digit scoring club.

Bernalillo’s only kryptonite so far? Hope Christian. The Huskies are responsible for two of the Spartans’ three district losses, leaving them in third place

Their only other district loss came from Albuquerque Academy, a team they will see again on Feb. 18 in the final week of the regular season.