Kirtland Central and Farmington High boys basketball teams pick up big wins
FARMINGTON — With another busy weekend of tournament action about to begin for several area teams, the boys basketball season takes on greater significance with district about right around the corner.
Kirtland Central extended their winning streak to five straight with a big road victory over Thoreau, while Farmington rolled over Shiprock ahead of a busy tournament weekend at Gallup High School.
Here's a recap of boys basketball action from earlier this week.
KIRTLAND CENTRAL 78, Thoreau 55
The Kirtland Central High School boys basketball team extended their winning streak to five straight after a resounding 78-55 win on the road over Thoreau.
Led by Satchel Hogue's 17 points to go along with Kragen Cadman's 10 points, the Broncos opened up a double-digit lead heading into the locker room, then extended that margin in the third quarter to pull clear of the Hawks.
"This was a great team win," said Broncos coach Brian Dowdy.
The Hawks (7-5) have lost three of their last five games and will host West Las Vegas on Saturday.
More: Lady Scorpions edge clear over Kirtland Central
The Broncos improve to 7-6 on the season and will be in action Friday at 7 p.m. when they visit Piedra Vista.
FARMINGTON 69, Shiprock 29
Led by a trio of players who scored in double figures, the Farmington High School boys basketball team rolled to a convincing 69-29 win on the road Tuesday night at Shiprock High School.
Sophomores Lander Willy led the Scorpions with 14 points, while Cody Vassar-Steen (13 points) and Trel Griego (12 points) overwhelmed the Chieftains, who have lost six of their last seven games and fall to 4-7 on the season.
"This was another of those games where you really want to be able to execute your stuff," said Farmington head coach Larry-Don Chitty. "They also kept their energy high. They did a great job doing both of those things."
The Scorpions improve to 11-1 and have their sights set on tournament action starting Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in the first round of the Gallup Invitational when they face Sandia Prep.
More: A look back at the year in sports
Farmington's only loss this season came in the opening round of the Poe Corn Invitational last month at Roswell High School when they lost to Carlsbad by a score of 56-35.
Shiprock will be home on Thursday at 7 p.m. when they host Newcomb.
VALENCIA 52, Bloomfield 24
The Valencia High School boys basketball team outscored Bloomfield 52-24 at home on Tuesday night, ending an eight-game losing streak.
Bloomfield fell behind early and was never really able to make up any ground as the game played out, according to head coach Randy Crockett.
"We got off to a terrible start," Crockett said. "We never were really able to recover."
Bloomfield falls to 5-7 on the year and will look to bounce back on Tuesday night when they host Piedra Vista.
MIYAMURA 40, Piedra Vista 34
The Piedra Vista High School boys basketball team lost for the fifth time in their last six games when they were topped Tuesday night on the road 40-34 by Miyamura High School.
The victory snapped a three-game Patriots losing streak as they improve to 3-8 on the season. Miyamura will open tournament play Thursday in the Gallup Invitational when they face Navajo Prep.
Piedra Vista will look to get back on track on Friday night at home against Kirtland Central.
Steve Bortstein can be reached via email at SBortstein@Gannett.com, via Twitter @DTSBortstein or on the phone at (505) 635-2680.
This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Kirtland Central and Farmington High boys basketball pick up big wins
