Two dominant guards in Lailah Bouldin and Janessa Gallegos are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Albuquerque Bulldogs and the Atrisco Heritage Academy Jaguars will face off at 7:00 p.m. on January 16th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Albuquerque will be strutting in after a victory while Atrisco Heritage Academy will be coming in after a defeat.
Albuquerque waltzed into their matchup on Saturday with two straight wins but they left with three. They secured a 44-39 W over Santa Fe. The score was all tied up 19-19 at the break, but Albuquerque was the better team in the second half.
Albuquerque's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Amariah Valles, who scored eight points along with seven rebounds and two steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Zaiyah Hawley, who scored seven points along with five assists and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Atrisco Heritage Academy came up short against West Mesa on Saturday and fell 60-51.
Despite their loss, Atrisco Heritage Academy saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Tatiana Magallanes, who scored 12 points along with three steals, was perhaps the best of all. Gallegos was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with two steals.
Albuquerque is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 11-4 record this season. As for Atrisco Heritage Academy, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-9 record this season.
Tuesday's game is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Albuquerque have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 31.5 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Atrisco Heritage Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 28.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Albuquerque against Atrisco Heritage Academy when the teams last played back in January of 2023 as the team secured a 66-24 win. With Albuquerque ahead 34-12 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
