Navajo Prep Cruises Past Hot Springs 72-55 in Class 3A Tournament Opener

Juniors Breyden Benally and JJ Belin combined for 35 points and Navajo Preparatory School led wire to wire, beating Hot Springs 72-55 Saturday in the opening round of the NMAA Class 3A state tournament at the Eagles Nest in Farmington.

The win pushed Navajo Prep's record to 24-4 and marked the Eagles' ninth home victory of the season against just one loss. Hot Springs, which finished 16-13, saw its season end with the defeat.

Navajo Prep built the margin methodically. Leading 17-13 after the first quarter, the Eagles unleashed an 8-0 run spanning two and a half minutes in the second quarter, fueled by a three-pointer from junior Aden Clah and a short turnaround jumper from Benally. Hot Springs was outscored 17-9 in the quarter and went to halftime trailing 34-22. Navajo Prep shot 50% from the field in the first half and committed only four turnovers all night.

"We talked about needing quality possessions and getting the most of those opportunities," said first-year head coach Ed Garrison. "That was the message heading into this game and that's what we'll need to keep doing going forward."

The lead ballooned to 23 points midway through the third quarter. Benally and senior AJ John combined for seven points during that stretch, extending the Eagles' advantage to 53-35 entering the fourth. Hot Springs outscored Navajo Prep 20-19 in the final eight minutes, but the deficit was too deep to overcome. Senior Tristan Polanco led the Tigers with a game-high 26 points.

Navajo Prep will next face the Santa Fe Indian Braves, seeded fifth, in the Class 3A quarterfinals Wednesday night at the Rio Rancho Events Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:15 p.m., with live coverage on 92.5 KRWN FM.

The two programs have met before this season, a fact Garrison said shaped his team's preparation. "We knew most likely there was a high percentage we'd see Santa Fe Indian again at state," he said. "So that opportunity earlier in the year was really valuable for us. We're pretty confident going down there and we're excited for the atmosphere. I think it's going to be the loudest crowd we've played in front of all season, and I think we thrive in that environment."

Garrison framed the quarterfinal run as validation of work that stretched back to the preseason. "It means a lot," he said. "It shows the preparation we've done all season leading up to this point. We're just taking it one game at a time. We're focused and determined.