The in 4A Pirates went toe-to-toe with the fourth ranked Hope Huskies (9-7) and came up short in a spirited game.
To their credit, the Pirates, who had come off two back-to-back wins, played hard and made it a competitive game. The Pirates, who were down as much as 12 points, came back and tied it up 54 all to force an overtime. They came up short in the OT with the final score of 6863. “Losing in overtime was tough,” said Chavez. “It highlighted our team’s resilience–we gave them everything we could handle– the game was challenging due to their size and length.”
The Pirates then hosted Bernalillo High School on January 17.
There’s rivalries and then there’s rivalries. When Bernalillo comes to town, you know it is going to be intense. The Spartans (8-1) were not a match for the Pirates this year.
After a tough overtime game against Hope, the Pirates were eager to run their horses. With newfound energy and drive, they demonstrated their offensive capabilities and their ability to play competitive basketball. The Pirates took an early lead in the first quarter, 16-6, and never looked back.
The halftime score was 34-16 with the Pirates firmly in the lead. The Pirates outscored the Spartans by four points in the third quarter, 54-32. And by 13 points in the fourth quarter for a final score of 80-45.
Prior to the Bernalillo game, the Pirates traveled west to Zuni (10-6) and played the Thunderbirds whom they also defeated handily by a score of 8045.
“Beating Bernalillo by 35 was a statement win for us,” said Chavez. “It was perfect for wrapping up the regular season before heading to district play.”
Chavez added, “While an 8-8 record wasn’t our goal—we’re optimistic— we’re playing our best basketball at the right time”.
The Pirates improve to 8-8 and will start district play on Tuesday, January 21 against Valencia. The Jaguars come to the Port of the Pirates with a 8-9 record.
This will be the first district game for both teams.
“Tonight’s game against Valencia will be tough—district play is very tough,” said Chavez of that game. “We’ll need to carry the momentum from our recent games— we’re excited to start on the right foot.”
The Pirates are currently ranked 14th in 4A and second in district 54A just behind St. Pius (12-5.)
The Lady Pirates recently lost to Espanola 62-53 on January 16. They lost to the number one team in 4A the Lady Bengals of Gallup, on January 18, by a score of 81-29.
They start district play with Valencia (12-5) on January 21 on the road.
Currently the Lady Pirates are 8 and 10 going into districts.