Even though the Bernalillo Spartans scored an imposing 56 points on Tuesday, the Manzano Monarchs still came out on top. Manzano snuck past Bernalillo with a 60-56 win. Winning is a bit easier when you work as a team to rack up 12 more assists than your opponent, as Manzano did.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Manzano to victory, but perhaps none more so than Zaria Gomez, who scored 27 points along with 8 rebounds and 5 steals. Another player making a difference was Daira Solis, who dropped a double-double on 10 points and 10 assists.
Despite the defeat, 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. Nickelette Aceves was another key contributor, scoring 2 points along with 10 rebounds.
Manzano's victory bumped their record up to 1-0. As for Bernalillo, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-1.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Manzano will take on Eldorado at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. As for Bernalillo, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Moriarty at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
