Kirtland Central hoops teams win tournament titles
FARMINGTON — Tournament action has been in full force for many prep basketball teams across San Juan County.
The Kirtland Central Broncos boys and girls teams took home championships while several teams were playing in their final games before the winter break.
Here's a look at how those teams fared.
Boys basketball
Kirtland Central 61, Pojoaque Valley 40
The Kirtland Central boys basketball team swept past the competition in its division of the two-day Ben Lujan Tournament held over the weekend at Pojoaque Valley High School.
On Saturday, the Broncos earned a 61-40 triumph over the host Elks team, picking up their third straight win and improving their record to 5-6.
The Broncos worked their way into that Saturday showdown after a hard-fought 65-60 win in overtime over Santa Fe Indian School.
In that victory, Satchel Hogue led the Broncos with 23 points, while Jarvis Mullahin, Jr. scored 17 points and Kragen Cadman chipped in with 10.
More:Kirtland Central basketball approaches season with high expectations
The Broncos won their division of the Lujan Tournament, which was comprised of a pair of separate four-team brackets, each playing two games.
The Broncos will be back in action at 7 p.m. Thursday when they face Crownpoint.
Girls basketball
Kirtland Central 80, Pojoaque Valley 33
The Kirtland Central girls basketball team dominated the competition over two games, winning its division of the Ben Lujan Tournament at Pojoaque Valley High School, capped by Saturday's 47-point win the championship game over the host Elks.
More:Marv Sanders Invitational Tournament Highlights
The Broncos (6-2) beat Pojoaque Valley 80-33 to win the title, just one day removed from a similar blowout win over Socorro on Friday, in which the Broncos won 63-28.
The Broncos, ranked fourth in the most recent poll for Class 4A teams in New Mexico, have won five games in a row, each of them by double digits as they prepare themselves for a big nondistrict match at home at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Navajo Prep.
The Eagles are ranked third in the state in Class 3A with a 6-2 record.
Española Valley 64, Shiprock 43
The Española Valley girls basketball team outscored Shiprock 39-20 in the second half on its way to a convincing 64-43 win at home Friday night.
The teams went into the locker room separated by only two points with the Sundevils leading 25-23 at halftime.
The win snapped an Española Valley two-game losing streak, while the Chieftains (2-6) have lost four of their last five and will hit the road next week to face Las Cruces in the Holiday Hoopla Tournament at Las Cruces High School.
Gallup 57, Piedra Vista 49
The Gallup girls basketball team ran its win streak to 10 in a row with a win at home Saturday afternoon over Piedra Vista.
The Bengals, ranked first in the most recent MaxPreps poll, improved to 11-1, with their only loss coming in their second game of the campaign to Farmington High School.
Piedra Vista (5-2) will be home Tuesday night to face Aztec before hitting the road next week to compete in a tournament in Phoenix.
Laguna Acoma 27, Aztec 19
The Aztec girls basketball team finished the Rumble in the Jungle Tournament with a record of 1-2 after suffering a 27-19 loss Saturday to the Hawks in the third-place game.
More:Shiprock High boys basketball coach Chester Atcitty, Jr.
Aztec won the first game of the tournament on Thursday, defeating East Mountain by a final of 37-13, setting up a showdown against Thoreau for a chance to advance to the tournament championship. Thoreau won that game in a 50-48 thriller before eventually losing to Durango 49-33 to claim the title.
The Tigers (2-7) will be back in action Tuesday when they visit the Jerry A. Conner Fieldhouse to face Piedra Vista.
Steve Bortstein can be reached via email at SBortstein@Gannett.com, via Twitter @DTSBortstein or on the phone at (505) 635-2680.