Bloomfield and Farmington basketball teams will be in spotlight this week
FARMINGTON — The district races in prep basketball are heating up, with a couple surprises along the way.
Farmington High School's boys team lost their district home opener last week, only their second loss of the current season, while Kirtland Central's girls team stunned defending Class 4A champion Gallup at Bronco Arena in the district opener for both teams.
Entering the second week of the district season, there are likely to be some more surprises coming up.
Here's a closer look at some of the week's biggest prep basketball games coming up around the county.
Girls Basketball
Gallup Bengals (13-2) at Bloomfield Bobcats (8-9), Tuesday 7 p.m.
The Lady Bobcats will face their toughest test of the current District 1-4A campaign when they host Gallup on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Bloomfield (2-0 District 1-4A) is coming off back-to-back district wins at home over Shiprock and Aztec, winning both those games by double digit margins.
Coached by Tom Adair, the Bobcats, ranked 15th in Class 4A by MaxPreps, have relied much of this season on the capable shooting of Danielle Johnson, as well as Aliya Quintana and Millie Yazzie.
Gallup, after losing their district opener last week at Kirtland Central, blew out local rival Miyamura last weekend to even their district record to 1-1 this season.
The Lady Bengals, who had been ranked atop the Class 4A polls coming into district play last week, are the defending Class 4A state champions and are still ranked first in Class 4A despite the loss to the Lady Broncos.
Boys Basketball
La Cueva Bears (13-2) at Farmington Scorpions (16-2), Saturday 2:30 p.m.
In a battle of two top-10 teams in Class 5A, the third-ranked Bears and ninth-ranked Scorpions will meet for the first time this season in a District 2-5A showdown at Scorpion Arena on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
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The Bears are coming back to San Juan County after rolling over Piedra Vista last weekend at the Jerry A Conner Fieldhouse and having won five straight, while the Scorpions fought off a tough West Mesa team at home Saturday night to even up their district record at 1-1.
Coached by Brian Joyce, La Cueva is led on the court by junior Exoduis Ayers, scoring nearly 17 points per game and handing out more than four assists per game this season.
The Scorpions will rely on the trio of leading scorers Cody Vassar-Steen, Trel Griego and Cayden Yazzie.
Farmington comes into the game with a record of 8-1 at home while La Cueva is 6-1 on the road this season.
The Scorpions are averaging nearly 61 points per game, having given up only 43 points per game. The Bears are scoring nearly 66 points per game and surrendering only 48 points a game.
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Here's a look at all the prep basketball action coming up this week.
TUESDAY
Boys Basketball
Farmington at Eldorado, 7 p.m.
Piedra Vista at West Mesa, 7 p.m.
Navajo Prep at Crownpoint, 7 p.m.
Thoreau at Wingate, 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Eldorado at Farmington, 7 p.m.
West Mesa at Piedra Vista, 7 p.m.
Kirtland Central at Miyamura, 7 p.m.
Shiprock at Aztec, 7 p.m.
Gallup at Bloomfield, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Girls Basketball
Crownpoint at Navajo Prep, 7 p.m.
Wingate at Thoreau, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
Boys Basketball
Miyamura at Kirtland Central, 7 p.m.
Aztec at Shiprock, 7 p.m.
Bloomfield at Gallup, 7 p.m.
Newcomb at Navajo Prep, 7 p.m.
Crownpoint at Thoreau, 7 p.m.
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FRIDAY
Girls Basketball
Aztec at Kirtland Central, 7 p.m.
Gallup at Shiprock, 7 p.m.
Navajo Prep at Newcomb, 7 p.m.
Crownpoint vs. Thoreau, 7 p.m.
Miyamura at Bloomfield, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY
Boys Basketball
La Cueva at Farmington, 2:30 p.m.
Piedra Vista at Sandia, 2:30 p.m.
Kirtland Central at Aztec, 7 p.m.
Shiprock at Gallup, 7 p.m.
Bloomfield at Miyamura, 7 p.m.
Thoreau at Rehoboth Christian, 5:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Farmington at La Cueva, 2:30 p.m.
Sandia at Piedra Vista, 2:30 p.m.
Steve Bortstein can be reached via email at SBortstein@Gannett.com, via Twitter @DTSBortstein or on the phone at (505) 635-2680.