Prep hoops: East Mountain hangs on

The master outmatched the pupil again. But the pupil is gaining. East Mountain, led by former St. Michael's head coach Matt Pribble, used a 14-11 advantage in the fourth quarter to outlast Desert Academy and head coach Daniel Romero 49-42 in both teams' boys basketball season opener Tuesday. Romero, who played for and coached under Pribble at St. Michael's, saw his teams lose by scores of 54-27 and 58-23 last year, but he felt the Wildcats matched up better with a year of seaso ...

College basketball: McDonald, Martinez push Lobos past New Mexico State

LAS CRUCES — Phillip McDonald scored a career-high 27 points Tuesday night to lead New Mexico to a 97-87 victory over New Mexico State University. McDonald hit 8 of 15 from the field, and teammate senior forward Roman Martinez chipped in with 24 points. The Lobos (2-0) were 12-for-26 from 3-point range. At halftime, UNM had made 64.5 percent from the field and led 52-36, a team record for first-half points under head coach Steve Alford. The Aggies (0-2) trailed by as much as ...

NMHU tops Eastern New Mexico University in women's basketball

Hope Williams drained two free throws with two seconds remaining to seal New Mexico Highlands University's 89-85 victory over Eastern New Mexico University in women's basketball Monday night in Greyhound Arena in Portales. Highlands finished 33-of-41 from the free-throw line to win its season opener and snip a seven game losing string to Eastern (0-1). Ashley Logan, who was 10-for-11 from the line, scored a team-high 24 points for the Cowgirls. Jessica Armijo and Briana Gholston evenly ...

VOLLEYBALL: These Elkettes his best? You can trust it's true

The Elkettes showed Brian Ainsworth that he could trust them unconditionally. In turn, Ainsworth showed the Elkettes that their reality could exceed their dreams. "I trusted this team more than any other I've ever coached," Ainsworth said, as the Elkettes of Pojoaque Valley High School disappeared into the foyer of Santa Ana Center to celebrate their Class AAA state volleyball championship with family and friends Saturday night. "This was the easiest team to coach. That's one of the re ...

Elkettes beat Lady Rams in four games to win Class AAA state volleyball title

A Dream You Have Will Come True — Fortune Cookie RIO RANCHO — So it was written, so it came true. Dionna Montoya and Kira Trujillo couldn't believe their eyes Friday night. At the conclusion of a team dinner at Pei Wei, on the eve of the championship match of the Class AAA State Volleyball Tournament, the Elkettes of Pojoaque Valley High School broke into their fortune cookies. The message inside Montoya's and Trujillo's was identical. "It was like, 'Oh my God! It's mea ...

Class AAA football playoffs: Horsemen rout Hot Springs

As St. Michael's head coach Joey Fernandez talked to a reporter after his team's 52-21 Class AAA state playoff win over Hot Springs on Saturday, Raton head coach Brock Walton stood 15 yards away, patiently waiting. The two friendly rivals from years of District 2AAA competition had some business to take care of. The exchange was symbolic. Only minutes removed from his team advancing in dominating fashion to the AAA quarterfinals, Fernandez and his Horsemen had no time to relish ...

• + Related: Class AAA state playoffs: Albuquerque Academy downs Elks in first round

Class AAA state playoffs: Albuquerque Academy downs Elks in first round

ALBUQUERQUE — It was an end for Michael Garcia. Is it a beginning for Pojoaque Valley football? Two paths that had been convergent for the past two seasons parted ways on a rainy Saturday afternoon. After Garcia threw his final pass as the Elks' quarterback — an interception by Albuquerque Academy defensive back Elliott Hansen — the Elks said goodbye to the 2009 season and an era that seemed too short for both. The fifth-seeded Chargers withstood a shaky opening 12 minutes befor ...

Nov. 15 local sports in brief

Dragons fall to Escalante The first half was a glimpse of what the Monte del Sol boys basketball team could be. The second half was the realization of what the Dragons are. Escalante used a half-court trap to disorganize Monte del Sol and the Lobos cruised to an 84-54 win in both teams' season opener. The Lobos held a 34-25 lead at the half before employing a triangle-and-two trap in the second half. "We had about 25 or 30 turnovers (for the game)," Dragons head coach Jona ...

MWC football: BYU tops winless UNM

ALBUQUERQUE — A landmark victory for BYU quarterback Max Hall was important to his coach for another reason — it was another hard-fought win for the Cougars. Hall passed for two touchdowns and got his 29th victory at BYU to match Heisman Trophy-winner Ty Detmer's school record, and the 22nd-ranked Cougars survived a sloppy fourth quarter to beat winless New Mexico 24-19 on Saturday. "We won the football game and that, to me, is something that I'll dwell on most," BYU head coach Bronco ...

WAC football: Hawaii defeats Aggies

HONOLULU — Bryant Moniz threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game injured at the beginning of the fourth quarter as Hawaii defeated New Mexico State 24-6. Greg Salas had a school record 16 catches for 196 yards and a touchdown. Hawaii (4-6, 2-5 Western Athletic Conference) won its second straight game and kept its bowl hopes alive. But the Warriors will need to defeat their next three opponents — San Jose State, Navy and Wisconsin — to earn a berth. New Mexico ...