No. 10 Volcano Vista Upsets No. 2 Farmington, 57-52, in Class 5A Quarterfinals

Farmington had beaten Volcano Vista twice during the regular season by an average of 18 points. Tuesday night at The Pit, the math ran the other way.

The No. 10-seeded Hawks rallied past the No. 2 Scorpions 57-52 in the Class 5A state quarterfinals on March 10, outscoring Farmington 32-23 in the second half and advancing to Thursday's semifinal against No. 3 Rio Rancho. It was the only upset of the day at the University of New Mexico arena.

Senior guard Jalysa Hines led all scorers with 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds, but her four free throws in two trips to the line inside the final minute proved decisive. With Volcano Vista clinging to a four-point lead, Farmington was forced to foul to stop the clock, and Hines converted each time to seal it.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Hawks from the opening possession. Zoey Loretto capped a 5-0 run to start the frame, pushing Volcano Vista's lead to eight. Farmington chipped back into it, and Arianna Charley's jumper with 2:20 remaining cut the deficit to two. But after a Scorpion turnover, Loretto answered with a layup that pushed the score to 53-49, and Farmington never recovered.

Four Volcano Vista players finished in double figures: Hines with 18, LaLicia Garcia with 12, Mia Zuniga with 11, and Loretto with 10. The Hawks shot 12-of-26 in the second half and piled up 17 fast-break points, using a quick tempo to wear down a Farmington team that entered as one of the tournament's top contenders.

"The Pit is magical and these girls have watched so many championships and it's a tribute to how special this team has become," said Volcano Vista head coach Lisa Villareal. "The hard work and attitude has been the difference this season."

Volcano Vista improved to 18-13 overall with the win. The Hawks will face Rio Rancho, which beat Los Lunas 42-25 earlier Tuesday morning, in the Class 5A semifinals on Thursday at 1:15 p.m. at The Pit.