Santa Fe High boys basketball turns back visiting Albuquerque High

After its boys basketball team fell surprisingly to visiting Albuquerque Rio Grande in District 5-5A play Tuesday night, the Jaguars’ girls are also home to the Ravens tonight with a chance to snap their 8-game losing skein.

It was a 51-42 defeat hung on Capital that dropped it to 9-8 overall and 0-1 in the district opener. Usually, Rio Grande (3-12 overall, 1-0 in district), is the weakest team in the district in both boys and girls, but this time the Ravens hung around and converted their final seven points from the foul line to win before a small turnout decided by the pandemic.

As for the Jaguar girls, they are 3-11 overall, have lost eight in a row, and begin district play versus the 1-12 Ravens, who have dropped their last 11 starts. Game time is scheduled for 6 o’clock.

The next stop for the faltering Capital boys is at Albuquerque High Friday night, with fans reportedly not being allowed to enter the gymnasium. The Bulldogs come off a 62-44 Tuesday night setback at Santa Fe High and are 5-10 overall and 0-1 in district.

The Demons meanwhile continued their impressive start to go 14-2 overall and with their opening win in district. Friday night, they play at non-district opponent Los Lunas, which is 8-8 overall.

At St. Michael’s, the word is that it will allow the usual attendance for tonight’s District 2-3A opener against Santa Fe Prep, and on Friday night the Lady Horsemen play at Raton.

On Friday night, St. Michael’s girls are home to Raton, and that is scheduled for a 5:30 start, while the Santa Fe Prep girls travel to Navajo Prep for a non-district contest, and the Capital boys head for Albuquerque High.

The Demonettes come off a 64-38 trouncing at Albuquerque High and drop to 9-7 overall and 0-1 after their district opener. The Bulldogs (9-6 and 1-0) wer led by 6-foot-1 junior standout Leilane Love’s 29 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks.

She was a huge force inside and put Albuquerque High ahead at one point by 23 points when she tossed in 13 straight points before heading to the bench.

Friday night, the Demonettes are home to Los Lunas in a non-district contest.  The Tigers surprisingly lost their first 11 games, several of them close, before winning their last three and advancing to 3-11.