Live Action: Sandia @ Cibola (The Rematch) – 12/9/23

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Final Score: Sandia 66 Cibola 52</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player of the Game: [player_tooltip player_id='1687823' first='Thomas' last='Adams'], Sandia - 24 pts, 10 Reb,</strong> <strong>2 ast, 6 stl</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leader in Points: [player_tooltip player_id='1687823' first='Thomas' last='Adams'], Sandia - 24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leader in Rebounds: [player_tooltip player_id='1687823' first='Thomas' last='Adams'], Sandia - 10</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leader in Assists: [player_tooltip player_id='1903316' first='Cole' last='Baca'], Cibola - 4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leader</strong> <strong>in Steals: [player_tooltip player_id='1687823' first='Thomas' last='Adams'], Sandia - 6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leader in Blocks: [player_tooltip player_id='2172947' first='Jahmil' last='Crayton-Johnson'], Sandia &amp; [player_tooltip player_id='2147586' first='Brayden' last='Peters'], Cibola - 1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game was two different games in both halves. Cibola came out firing on all cylinders in the first half, getting out to a 14-point lead before losing the momentum in the 3rd quarter, and losing the lead due largely to turnovers and foul trouble late, with 5 players fouling out. Sandia then continued their rampage in the 4th quarter, closing out their comeback and concluding a 28-point swing from 1st to 2nd half, and tallying 17 steals on the game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1687823' first='Thomas' last='Adams']</strong> was nothing short of dominant, getting to the basket at will and wreaking havoc defensively, ending the game with 24-point 10-rebound double-double and tallying 6 steals. Adams showed his two-way prowess and why he's one of the top prospects in New Mexico. Freshmen <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2714580' first='Gad' last='Harris']</strong> and <strong>Zay Brown</strong> were menaces on both sides of the ball as well, combining for 6 steals and putting up 15 and 12 points respectively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2292960' first='Zaire' last='Ndyabagye']</strong> struggled offensively but controlled the glass extremely well, putting up 9 rebounds and disrupting shots in the paint. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2172947' first='Jahmil' last='Crayton-Johnson'] </strong>was plugged into the starting lineup this game and provided much needed energy in the second half defensively. <strong>Junior Hogues </strong>was solid in his time on the floor as well, adding on 3 rebounds and 3 steals to the stat sheet. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cibola simply struggled in the second half, but showed what they can do in the first half. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1679997' first='Julian' last='Ortiz']</strong> went to work early before finishing with 14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1124236' first='Elijah' last='Foster']</strong> provided much needed energy off the bench, tallying 10 points and 6 rebounds, showing off his motor and ability to fly around the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1903316' first='Cole' last='Baca']</strong> continue to show his strengths as a physical guard, putting up 10 points, 6 rebounds and a game-high 4 assists. He's continually showed how much of a nuisance he can be on the glass, and has averaged 6.3 RPG in his first 3 games. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2026078' first='Christopher' last='Williams']</strong> has matured in his role as a spark plug off the bench, showing patience offensively and hustle defensively. He ended the game with 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->