The Bloomfield Bobcats suffered their closest defeat since December 16, 2023 on Thursday. They fell just short of Kirtland Central by a score of 44-41. Bloomfield was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Broncos apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in February of 2023.
Several Bobcats players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Andrew Florez, who scored 14 points along with five rebounds. Drake House was another key contributor, scoring 14 points.
Kirtland Central's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Elijah Grey, who scored six points along with five rebounds and two steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Mallaki Atcitty, who scored nine points along with two steals.
Bloomfield has not been sharp recently as the team's lost six of their last eight matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-13 record this season. As for Kirtland Central, the victory got them back to even at 9-9.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Bloomfield's road trip will continue as they head out to face the Chieftains at 4:00 p.m. on February 3rd. One thing working in Shiprock's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last six contests. As for Kirtland Central, they will head out on the road to face off against the Bengals at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in New Mexico (Gallup is ranked 75th, while the Broncos are ranked 79th).
