Basketball Game Preview: Manzano Monarchs vs. Albuquerque Bulldogs

Manzano is 1-9 against Albuquerque since April of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Monarchs will be home for the holidays to greet the Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. Manzano has been dominant on offense recently, having racked up an incredible 184 points over their last three games.

Manzano took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They blew past Gadsden 65-39. With the Monarchs ahead 32-11 at the half, the contest was all but over already.

Meanwhile, Albuquerque was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Saturday as they fell 42-36 to Santa Fe Indian. The matchup marked the Bulldogs' lowest-scoring game so far this season.

Albuquerque's defeat dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Manzano, their victory ended a seven-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 4-3.

Manzano lost to Albuquerque at home by a decisive 55-38 margin in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. Can the Monarchs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.