Highs and lows on the prep basketball courts

It was a tough Tuesday for area teams, as district basketball continued.

In girls’ action, poor shooting doomed Los Lunas, ranked fourth in 5A, as the Tigers (17-4, 2-1) lost at home 49-33 to Albuquerque High. Manny Vigil, LLHS coach, said the team had "no energy," but played better when he changed the lineup in the second half.

In 4A, No. 3 Valencia (14-5, 2-0) defeated sixth-ranked St. Pius, 41-31, on the road. St. Pius pulled to within four points in the fourth quarter before the Jaguars pulled away.

“The girls showed a lot of maturity, handling their run and the gym getting really loud,” Valencia coach Raymond Montoya said.

Belen (7-13, 0-2) plays Friday at Grants and Tuesday hosts Valencia.

For the boys, Valencia (8-11, 0-2) struggled from the start against top-ranked St. Pius, losing 75-44. Jared Porter led VHS with 19 points.

Los Lunas (5-15, 0-3) lost 55-35 at Albuquerque High. LLHS coach Pablo Gabaldon said the Tigers played hard but struggled with the AHS trapping defense and offensive rebounds.

The Belen Eagles (9-10, 1-1) were off Tuesday, but are likely still soaring after a tension-filled double overtime victory Friday at home against Highland.

In the first overtime, Belen’s Josiah Navarro scored on a rebound with two seconds left to force another extra period.

The Eagles secured the 68-65 victory when Highland’s final three-point try was off the mark.

“It was a great team effort,” said Donald Marquez, BHS coach.

Damian Avila had 20 points, while Navarro added 17.

Belen hosts Grants Friday and visits Valencia Tuesday, with the Jaguars holding a Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser to raise awareness of childhood cancer in memory of Rebecca “Porky” Marrujo. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.