Column: Sanchez's shooter's mentality pays off for Hobbs in win over Sandia

Hobbs' Adrian Sanchez shoots a 3-pointer.

 

(This column appears in Thursday's edition of the Hobbs News-Sun. Read the Hobbs game story as well as other state tournament stories in Thursday's sports section of the News-Sun.)

  ALBUQUERQUE — Adrian Sanchez entered Wednesday’s Class 5A state quarterfinal game against No. 2 Sandia having hit 99 3-pointers this season for No. 7 Hobbs – a single-season school record.
  After his first five attempts of the game, it was hard to believe he’d hit any.
  The senior was 0-for-5 to start the game with three air balls and another that was well off the mark.
  While a bit discouraged, the senior didn’t stop shooting.
  Sanchez drained a 3-pointer late in the second quarter and it would be a run of four consecutive for him, including a game-winner where he pump faked, took a dribble and swished it through with 1.0 seconds left to lead the Eagles past the Matadors 66-65 at The Pit.
  In a contest where it would’ve been easy for Sanchez – a vocal leader for the Eagles – to get frustrated and lose focus, he kept on shooting thanks to a little pep talk from Hobbs coach Mike Smith.
  “Coach just told me to keep my head up and take my shots,” Sanchez said. “Coach told me, ‘You may have missed the first five, but you’ll hit the next five.’ I just took that mentality and they started falling for me.”

NMAA releases 2013 boys and girls state basketball tournament brackets

Tyler Fletcher/News-Sun

Hobbs' Dane Pannell glides in for two

points against Carlsbad at Tasker Arena.

  The New Mexico Activities Association released the 2013 boys and girls state basketball tournament brackets with several Lea County schools making the cut.

  Here are the links for the boys and girls brackets.

  The Hobbs boys received the No. 7 seed and will host No. 10 Volcano Vista 7 p.m. Saturday at Tasker Arena. The Hobbs girls got the No. 4 seed and will host No. 13 Gadsden 7 p.m. Friday at Tasker Arena.

  As for the Lovington teams, the boys got the No. 9 seed and will travel to play No. 8 Taos on Saturday while the defending Class 3A state champion Lady Wildcats received the No. 6 seed and host No. 11 Raton on Friday.

  As for Tatum, the Lady Coyotes picked up the No. 1 seed and will host No. 16 Shiprock Northwest on Friday while the Tatum boys got the No. 14 seed and will travel to play No. 3 To'jahiilee on Saturday.

  Neither Eunice or Jal team made the tournament.

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.