UPDATE: Rio Rancho High School girls’ basketball team’s opener postponed

The Rio Rancho High School girls’ basketball team was scheduled to open its season this morning (Nov. 30), but inclement weather in Santa Fe changed that. Details on when the first round will be played are not available.

It’ was to be a first-round game of the annual Bobby Rodriguez Capital City Tournament.

The Rams are coached by Lori (Stephenson) Mabrey, heading into her second season here at the helm, and a former longtime Rams assistant. The Rams were 14-16 overall last season, 4-4 in District 1-5A. RRHS received the 16 seed for state and lost a first-round game at Hobbs, 73-14, which emerged as state champ.

Here are Mabrey’s responses to the Observer’s questions:

• Why should people come out to watch your team play this season? We should be much more competitive than last season and we are going to try and be an up-tempo team. We have very good young talent (eighth-, ninth- and 10th-graders) that all can compete for varsity positions.
• Who are some of your players fans should keep their eyes on? Senior Makenna Lee, is going to have to carry a load and she scored just at double digits last year, 9.7 ppg and 8.5 boards per game. We also have some young ones that have put in a lot of work and will push the older girls for playing time and spots.
• What game(s) on the schedule are the one(s) your team really needs to beat to show it’s competitive and deserves a seed at state? For us to “have a seat at the table” we need to be able well at the Metro tourney and our own tournament, the Mel Otero, which includes Robertson (‘23 state runner-up and ‘22 champ), Sandia (who should be a front runner in 5A) and Clovis who beat everyone they played this summer. We have a great field. We need to be able to take care of the basketball and close out close games in our favor. We have a student buyout in our game on Dec 14 at 1 p.m. for students for one dollar.
• What’s one change you’d like to see in high school basketball in the coming seasons? One change I’d like to see is to have the federation rules reward the defense and not the offense! Block/charge is going to offensive player almost always; the new foul rule helps the offensive player, so calls in general get offensive drivers to the free-throw line too often, when they are the ones initiating the contact.
• Who’s the best all-around student-athlete you’ve ever coached? The best all-around athlete I’ve ever coached is difficult to say. I’ve had some outstanding players. Amber Battle was the best all-around athlete for sure; Amaya Brown was the best basketball player and leader for sure; Karyn Karlin was probably next.

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RRHS girls’ 2023-24 basketball schedule

DATE OPPONENT TIME

Nov. 30-Dec. 2 Capital City Tourn. TBD

Dec. 5 ESPANOLA VALLEY 7 p.m.

7 Piedra Vista 7 p.m.

9 Santa Fe 5 p.m.

14-16 MEL OTERO TOURN. TBD

23 Eldorado 12:30 p.m.

Jan. 9-13 APS Metro Tourn. TBD

18 Capital 7 p.m.

20 ROSWELL 6 p.m.

23 LOS ALAMOS 7 p.m.

25 Atrisco Heritage* 7:30 p.m.

27 CARLSBAD* 6 p.m.

30 CIBOLA* 7 p.m.

Feb. 1 VOLCANO VISTA* 7 p.m.

7 Cleveland* 7 p.m.

14 ATRISCO HERITAGE* 7 p.m.

16 Cibola* 7:30 p.m.

21 Volcano Vista* 7:30 p.m.

23 CLEVELAND* 7 p.m.

Feb. 26-March 2 1-5A tournament TBD

March 8 State/first round TBD

12-15 State tournament TBD

(Home games are in CAPS; District 1-5A games denoted by *)