The Bernalillo Spartans were the 56-54 winner over the Manzano Monarchs when they last played one another back in December of 2022, but their luck changed this time around. Bernalillo took a 60-56 hit to the loss column at the hands of Manzano. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Despite the loss, Bernalillo had strong showings from Trinity Calabaza, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 15 rebounds, and Leah Valdez, who scored 22 points along with 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Another player making a difference was Nickelette Aceves, who scored 2 points along with 10 rebounds.
Even though they lost, Bernalillo were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Manzano only pulled down 12.
Manzano's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Zaria Gomez led the charge by scoring 27 points along with 8 rebounds and 5 steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Daira Solis, who dropped a double-double on 10 points and 10 assists.
Bernalillo's loss dropped their record down to 0-1. As for Manzano, their victory bumped their record up to 1-0.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Bernalillo will take on Moriarty at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. As for Manzano, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Eldorado at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.
