La Cueva won the last time they faced Manzano and things went their way on Tuesday too. The La Cueva Bears were the clear victor by a 74-52 margin over the Manzano Monarchs. Given the Bears' advantage in MaxPreps' New Mexico basketball rankings (they are ranked 11th, while the Monarchs are ranked 71st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Hunter Butler
| 02/04/25 @ Manzano | 57% |
| 01/30/25 vs Santa Fe | 63% |
| 01/28/25 @ Capital | 100% |
| 01/25/25 vs Sandia | 47% |
| 01/23/25 @ Eldorado | 55% |
| + 9 more games |
La Cueva was led to victory by Hunter Butler and Tre Cowles. Butler went 8 for 14 to rack up 20 points in addition to six boards and four steals, while Cowles went 5 of 10 en route to 17 points and seven rebounds. Butler is also on a roll when it comes to field goal percentage, as he's posted one of at least 45% in the last 14 games he's played. Another player making a difference was Tony Trujillo, who posted seven points and four steals.
Manzano's defeat came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Estevan Gonzalez, who went 5 for 10 on his way to 15 points and five boards. That's the most points Gonzalez has posted since back in December of 2024. Kai Youngberg was another key player, dropping a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds.
La Cueva's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-8. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 20.8 points. As for Manzano, they have been struggling recently as they've lost 13 of their last 14 games, which has put a noticeable dent in their 6-14 record this season.
La Cueva has already played their next match, a 67-64 loss against Sandia on the 7th. As for Manzano, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 62-47 defeat against Eldorado on the 7th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
