Lady Rattlers fall to Tohatchi

Three Quay County high school teams have advanced to the quarterfinal rounds of the 1A, 2A and 3A state basketball tournaments this week in Albuquerque.

The 9-seed San Jon Coyotes (13-8) will take on the top seed Quemado Eagles (26-2) at 1:15 p.m. today at Bernalillo High School.

The Coyotes advanced to the quarter finals of the boys 1A state basketball tournament with a 68-60 win Saturday over the 8-seed Coronado Leopards.

Game time: 1:15 p.m. today at Bernalillo.

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The Logan Lady Longhorns competed in the quarterfinals of the girls 2A state basketball tournament on Tuesday.

The 2-seed Lady Longhorns (21-6) played the 7-seed Navajo Pine Lady Warriors (18-8) Tuesday at Bernalillo.

The Lady Longhorns advanced to the quarterfinals with a 59-35 victory over 15-seed Jal in the first round of the tournament on March 2 at Logan.

With a win the Lady Longhorns will advance to the semifinals on Thursday to play the winner of the 3-seed Lordsburg vs 6-seed Escalante.

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The 6 seed Tucumcari Lady Rattlers lost 84-47 to the 3 seed Tohatchi Lady Cougar in the quarterfinals of the 3A state basketball tournament on Tuesday at Rio Rancho.

The Lady Rattlers (21-6) advanced to the quarterfinals when they beat the 11-seed Newcomb Lady Skyhawks, 73-40 on March 2 in the first round of the state tournament at the Snake Pit.

The Lady Rattlers had four players score double digits in the 3A match up against the Lady Skyhawks. Post Kalani French scored 13 points and Alyssa Martinez, Maribel Lopez and Ashley Shipley scored 15 points.

Martinez scored three field goals and three 3-point baskets, while Lopez scored five 3-pointers, and Shipley scored six field goals and was three-of-three from the free throw line. French scored four field goals, one 3-pointer and was two-of-two from the free throw line.

"This type of scoring shows that we are a threat from inside and outside the paint," said Lopez.

Shipley said the team knows they need to be aggressive when going in for the basket. She said teams are not going to give them an open shot, so they are going to need to fight for every point.

French said the team will need to come out with intensity against the Tohatchi Lady Cougars.

Martinez said the team will need to do a better job of rebounding to limit the Lady Cougars chances at second shots. She said the team's offense has shown any member of Lady Rattlers can score from inside or outside. Our defense needs to be just as strong, Martinez added.