Live Action: 11/27/2023 – Deming @ Valencia

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Final Score: Valencia 60 Deming 20</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player of the Game: [player_tooltip player_id='2283972' first='Carin' last='Bustillos'], Valencia - 14 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leader in Points: [player_tooltip player_id='1685516' first='Damian' last='Estrada'], Valencia - 16</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leader in Rebounds:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2283972' first='Carin' last='Bustillos'], Valencia - 11</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leader in Assists: [player_tooltip player_id='2283972' first='Carin' last='Bustillos'], Valencia - 5</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leader in Steals: [player_tooltip player_id='1680003' first='Jorge' last='Zuniga'], Valencia - 4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leader in Blocks: [player_tooltip player_id='2284323' first='Charlie' last='Hofacket'], Deming - 2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The New Mexico High School season kicked off with a 4A playoff rematch between Deming and Valencia. In last year's playoff matchup, Deming bested Valencia to move on to the quarterfinals. This time around, Valencia tripled them up, establishing themselves early on in the game with a 30-point lead, holding Deming to 8 points at halftime. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2283972' first='Carin' last='Bustillos'] </strong>established himself as one of the best upcoming freshmen and will be able to put his name on the map as the season progresses. He put up a double-double in his first varsity start and was dominant on the boards on both sides of the ball</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1685516' first='Damian' last='Estrada'] </strong>continued to show his offensive prowess as a first option for this team, leading both teams in scoring with 16, contributing 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals as well. His court vision impressed me, as it's nice to see last year's All-District First Team player continue to expand his game in the leadership position he has with this squad. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1680003' first='Jorge' last='Zuniga'] </strong>stepped up on the defensive end in a big way, providing trouble for ball-handlers as soon as they crossed half-court, and leading the game with 4 steals. He showed two-way ability by knocking down 3 three's off the catch on the offensive end. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Deming as a team struggled mightily on both sides of the ball, but <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2284323' first='Charlie' last='Hofacket']</strong> provided some much-needed paint presence, grabbing a team-high 8 rebounds, and a game-high 2 blocks. He will continue to crash the boards at a high rate and will provide valuable minutes for the Wildcats in the long run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->