The West Las Vegas Dons put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They slipped by Espanola Valley 62-61. Given West Las Vegas' advantage in MaxPreps' New Mexico basketball rankings (they are ranked 14th, while Espanola Valley is ranked 91st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
West Las Vegas' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but P.j. Montano led the charge by scoring 21 points along with seven rebounds. Those 21 points set a new season-high mark for him. The team also got some help courtesy of Marcus Sena, who scored 14 points.
West Las Vegas pushed their record up to 7-0 with that win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.6 points per game. As for Espanola Valley, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-7.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. West Las Vegas will finish 2023 at home by hosting Pecos at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Espanola Valley will finish 2023 at home by hosting Hope Christian at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday.