ESPANOLA, N.M. -- It was a tough weekend series for both the Park University Gilbert men's and women's basketball teams as they lost all four games played against the Northern New Mexico on Friday and Saturday. The women lost 73-69 and 76-39. The men fell 88-66 and 81-78. This week is the final week of the season for both squads. The men face off with Ottawa (Ariz.) on Monday Feb. 10, and American Indian College on Wednesday, Feb. 12 and Antelope Valley on Sunday, Feb, 16. The women finish with back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday Feb. 11-12 versus Arizona Christian and American Indian College.
NORTHERN NEW MEXICO SATURDAY RECAP
The Buccaneer women had a rough go of it on Saturday, as they started slow and never were able to muster much of anything offensively against the Eagles. They fell down 10 in the first quarter and things only got worse. A five-point second quarter just about put the finishing touches on the game as they were down 23 points, 38-15 at the intermission. The Bucs have been very good with putting on a second half show to come back and win games or at least make them competitive. But if the five-point second quarter put them in dire straits, allowing the Eagles to have a 25-point third quarter was the nail in the coffin as they took the advantage to 34 points by the end of the third quarter. The Buccaneers were able to hold NNMC to a more competitive fourth quarter but by this time it was much too little too late.
The men's game was much more competitive, as it was a see-saw battle for the first 10 minutes of the first half. The last 10 minutes saw the Eagles go on a 24-14 run to end the first half and take an 11-point halftime lead. On Friday, the Bucs could not find the formula for a comeback, but they found a solution in the halftime lab which allowed them to comeback and tie the game in the first six minutes of the second half and to take the lead with eight minutes to go. The Bucs held a three-point lead (64-60) with just under seven minutes to go when NNMC went on a 12-0 run to retake control. But Park Gilbert kept fighting and tied the contest at 77 with 1:21 remaining. An Estevan Martinez field goal and two free throws gave the Eagles their final point total as the Bucs could not muster one final rally.
UPCOMING THIS WEEK
The Buccaneer women finish out the season with back-to-back games against local competition. Tuesday night, they face off with Arizona Christian (9-14) in a rematch of a Firebirds 84-55 win back in early December on Wednesday, the Bucs face off with American Indian College for the third time this season. The Buccaneers own a 2-0 series lead on the Warriors having won both contests by an average of 35 points. Park Gilbert won the first game by 28 points at AIC and the second contest by 42 at "The Nest." Elise Young scored 52 combined points in the prior two matchups.
The men have three remaining games. The first match up is on the road at Ottawa (Ariz.) in a rematch of an 11-point Park Gilbert win in November. Jake Ellis had 24 points in that matchup for the Bucs. Then the men face off with American Indian College on Wednesday. The Bucs won the last match up with the Warriors 104-88 in November. Finally, the men close out their inaugural season against the Pioneers of Antelope Valley. The Pioneers hold a 20-4 record and are 10-0 in the Cal Pac.
