Basketball Game Preview: Sandia Matadors vs. Hobbs Eagles

The Sandia Matadors and the Hobbs Eagles will face off at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday without much rest, having both just played. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Sandia sitting on 11 straight wins and Hobbs on six.

Sandia is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They came out on top against Albuquerque by a score of 62-49.

Zaire Ndyabagye

Points

03/12/25 vs Albuquerque	21
03/08/25 vs Rio Rancho	24
03/01/25 vs La Cueva	16

Sandia's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Zaire Ndyabagye, who dropped a double-double with 21 points and ten rebounds. Ndyabagye's afternoon made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 16 points. Gad Harris was another key player, going 5-for-8 en route to 15 points in addition to five assists and five boards.

Sandia smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since back in January.

Meanwhile, Hobbs faced Cleveland in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. Hobbs walked away with a 66-53 win over Cleveland.

Hobbs' victory bumped their record up to 26-4. As for Sandia, their win bumped their record up to 26-3.

Sandia beat Hobbs 63-53 when the teams last played back in December of 2016. Does Sandia have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hobbs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.