Basketball Game Preview: Taos Tigers vs. Pojoaque Valley Elks/Elkettes

Taos and Pojoaque Valley are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2020, but not for long. The Taos Tigers will face off against the Pojoaque Valley Elks/Elkettes at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.

Last Saturday, Taos was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 46-40 to St. Pius X. While losing is never fun, the Tigers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' New Mexico basketball rankings (they are ranked 93rd, while the Sartans are ranked 22nd).

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Jasmine Mondragon, who almost dropped a double-double on 15 points and nine boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Isabella Lucero, who posted seven points and five rebounds.

Meanwhile, Pojoaque Valley was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Thursday as they fell 45-39 to Espanola Valley.

Taos has been struggling recently as they've lost eight of their last nine games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-12 record this season. As for Pojoaque Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-8.

Taos came up short against Pojoaque Valley when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 31-27. Can Taos avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.