Updated district tournament schedule for Lea County basketball teams

  With some of the tiebreakers (the Hobbs girls lost to Clovis and the Lovington boys lost to Portales – read tomorrow's News-Sun for game recaps) and first-round games done, here is an updated schedule for the district tournaments for the teams from Lea County.

Wednesday – District 8-1A Tournament: Jal boys vs. Floyd, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday – District 4-5A Tournament: Hobbs boys vs. Carlsbad, 8 p.m.; Hobbs girls vs. Carlsbad, 5 p.m.; District 4-3A Tournament: Lovington boys vs. Ruidoso, 7 p.m.; Lovington girls vs. Ruidoso, 5:30 p.m.; District 8-1A Tournament: Tatum boys vs. Floyd/Jal, 6:30 p.m.

Friday – District 8-1A Tournament: Tatum girls vs. Floyd/Dora, 6:30 p.m.; District 5-2A Tournament: Eunice girls @ Dexter, 6 p.m.

District tournament schedule for Lea County basketball teams

  District tournament time is here for prep basketball. It's either time to build some momentum heading into state for some or the end of the season for others. This is the schedule of each teams' first game of their respective District Tournament (or playoff game for the district title in the case of the Lovington boys and Hobbs girls).

Monday – District 5-2A Tournament: Eunice boys vs. Loving, 6 p.m.; District 8-1A Tournament: Jal girls @ Floyd, 5:30 p.m.; Jal boys @ Floyd, 7 p.m.

Tuesday – District 4-5A tiebreaker: Hobbs girls vs. Clovis (at Roswell High), 7 p.m.; District 4-3A tiebreaker: Lovington boys vs. Portales (at New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell), 7 p.m.; District 5-2A Tournament: Eunice girls vs. Loving, 6 p.m.

Thursday – District 4-5A Tournament: Hobbs boys vs. Carlsbad, 7 p.m.;  District 4-3A Tournament: Lovington girls vs. Ruidoso, 7 p.m.; District 8-1A Tournament: Tatum boys vs. Jal/Floyd, 6:30 p.m.

Friday – District 8-1A Tournament: Tatum girls vs. Jal/Floyd/Dora, 6:30 p.m.

  The tiebreaker games will determine when the Lovington boys and Hobbs girls open district tournament play. I know for the Hobbs girls, if they win they'll host the 4-5A championship 7 p.m. Saturday and if they lose they'll host Carlsbad 6 p.m. Thursday (and the Hobbs boys game against Carlsbad would be moved to 8 p.m.).

Hobbs wins should give Eagles push into postseason, sets up interesting Tuesday

  It was a weekend of redemption for the No. 7 Hobbs boys basketball team as the Eagles ousted a Carlsbad team 88-50 Friday after losing to the Cavemen 69-66 in Carlsbad earlier this season, and then beat No. 6 Las Cruces High 78-60 Saturday to avenge a 21-point loss to the Bulldawgs last season in Las Cruces.
  More importantly, however, Hobbs after going on a small two-game skid may be regaining steam heading into its regular-season finale in Clovis on Friday, the District 4-5A Tournament and the state tournament.
  Prior to Friday and Saturday, Hobbs (19-6 overall, 1-2 district) was looking rough around the edges, particularly defensively and with its press as the Eagles were giving up a ton of easy buckets in losses to Carlsbad and Clovis.
  This weekend Hobbs was able to get out and run and puts some points on the board after scoring 66 and 59 in its last two contests.
  But the importance of Friday's game in Clovis will be determined Tuesday when Clovis (2-0 in district) travels to Carlsbad (1-2).
  A Clovis win means the Wildcats win district, Hobbs is second and Carlsbad finishes third (Hobbs owns the tiebreaker over Carlsbad via point differential) and Friday's game is more about keeping good momentum heading into the playoffs (oh, and that whole rivalry things too).

Hobbs girls named in "Best of Rest" USA Today Top 25; LHS' Perez at ABC

  The Hobbs girls basketball team received some national recognition when the Lady Eagles were selected into the "Best of the Rest" section of the USA Today's national girls top-25 rankings released Jan. 9 and again Wednesday (here is link).

  The Lady Eagles are 15-1 on the season with its only loss to Mayfield on Dec. 15 (49-47) in Rio Rancho – a loss Hobbs avenged on Dec. 28 with a 38-37 win.

  There are no other New Mexico teams on the list or "Best of the Rest" section. Texas has two teams with Duncanville, Texas, ranked No. 2 with a 28-0 record and Pflugerville, Texas, ranked No. 18 with a 27-0 record.

  Hobbs has won six games in a row and will look to make it seven when the Lady Eagles travel to play Goddard 7 p.m. today. Goddard is 7-9 on the season after losing to Lovington on Tuesday.

  The schedule will be tough for Hobbs with only three home games left in the regular season compared to seven road contests (including games at Roswell High, Mayfield, Eldorado and Hope Christian along with district contests at Clovis and Carlsbad).

Perez back on court at Arlington Baptist

  Lovington graduate and multiple Hobbs News-Sun Player of the Year winner Mystica Perez is back on the court, joining Arlington Baptist College in Texas midseason.

  Arlington Baptist is a Division II school in the National Christian College Athletic Association. The Patriots have eight players on the current roster – all freshman with Perez as the only non-Texan.

Video: Hobbs highlights from trip to Alamogordo, Las Cruces Mayfield

  Here are video highlights from Hobbs' sweep of Alamogordo and Mayfield this past weekend where the Eagles outscored the two teams by a combined score of 184-113.

Breakdown of Hobbs' 45-point quarter; Hobbs vs. Las Cruces game rescheduled

Brad Cox/News-Sun

Hobbs' Adrian Brown sprints toward the hoop during

the Eagles' 117-56 win over Midland Christian on

Saturday at Tasker Arena.

  This is my fourth season covering Hobbs boys basketball full time (Saturday was my 101st consecutive game covered in a completely useless stat) as sports editor of the News-Sun and I was around the program the three years before that as a sportswriter in Hobbs, but I've never covered a more prolific quarter than the Eagles' second quarter during their 117-56 win over Midland Christian on Saturday at Tasker Arena.

  The Eagles scored 45 points – six points shy of the Hobbs record of 51 set in 1970 – to take a 75-29 lead at the half.

  In the second quarter alone, Hobbs went 16-for-23 from the field, including 5-for-5 from 3-point range, 8-for-11 from the free-throw line, forced 14 turnovers and held Midland Christian to 11 points.

Tonight's Hobbs boys game vs. Las Cruces canceled; Tatum still playing

  The Hobbs boys basketball team's game against Las Cruces High set for 7 p.m. today has been canceled due to inclement weather in the Las Cruces area. Hobbs athletic director Greg Haston said he and the Las Cruces athletic director will talk Monday about rescheduling but it will be tough at this time of year.
  Las Cruces is still going to try and make the trip for Saturday's contest at Clovis according to Las Cruces Sun-News sports editor Teddy Feinberg.
  The Hobbs boys (7 p.m.) and girls (5:30 p.m.) games against Midland Christian set for Saturday are still on as scheduled.
  Tatum's boys (4 p.m.) and girls (2:30 p.m.) games against Hagerman today will be played as scheduled according to Tatum boys basketball coach Vince Homer.