By Connor Glover
La Cueva High School’s boys basketball team (15-12 overall) are preparing for the state tournament ranked 4th in their district and 13th among 5A high schools in New Mexico.
La Cueva, the 11th seed, will travel to No. 6 Carlsbad on March 3 for the first round of the state playoffs.
The Bears look to do better than they did last year, when they lost in the semifinals game, 49-58 against Volcano Vista.
Recently, the Bears split a pair of games with Farmington, winning 69-58 on Feb. 17 and losing 54-59 on Feb. 21. Within District 2, the Bears are 5-5, having beaten Farmington once, Eldorado twice and Piedra Vista twice.
“I think we are gonna be ready for state because they have spent a lot of time recently trying to bond themselves as a team,” said Manager Devon Nolan. “The more and more they appreciate and dedicate the game to each other, then they are more likely to win.”
Cedarius Yates, a 6-foot-3 senior, currently leads the Bears in points per game with 16.1. Yates is a veteran for this team and hopes to lead the team to success in the postseason. “We need to focus on the little things, because the little things are what wins games,” said Yates.
Teammate Cameron Dyer leads in assists per game and is third in points per game. “Me bringing energy during practice and me bringing energy during the games is gonna help,” said Dyer, a sophomore. “There isn't anything set in stone yet but I do think we have a chance to win.”
The Bears’ March 4 game against Carlsbad starts at 5 p.m.