Scorpions Surge Past Eagles, Advance to State Quarterfinals
Story by Walter Dorman
Photo by Charles Cook 505dustdevil Photography
The Farmington Scorpions turned a tight first quarter into a dominant victory Friday night, defeating the Eldorado Eagles 68–33 in the opening round of the New Mexico State Basketball Championships.
Farmington led just 14–13 at the end of the first quarter, but the Scorpions found their rhythm in the second quarter and quickly created separation behind strong defense, rebounding, and timely shooting.
“We started doing a better job on defense. That’s always the key to our offense — we feed off our defense,” said Farmington head coach Tom Adair.
“In the first quarter I thought we were settling for threes too much and dribbling too much instead of moving the ball. We want to swing it, cut, move and set screens. We want good movement, and I felt like in the second quarter we started doing that.”
Once the Scorpions began sharing the ball and attacking the glass, the momentum quickly shifted. Farmington dominated the boards during the second quarter, which helped fuel the offensive surge.
Adair credited several players for their work on the glass and energy off the bench.
“I thought Carly Conley did a good job rebounding, and then Harmony Thomas and Amery Garfield came in and gave us really good minutes. Chenoa Parris stepped up and played well, too. I was proud of every one of the girls. We’ve got a really good bench and I’m really pleased with how they come out, play defense and look to move the ball.”
The biggest spark came when Kajani Anitielu, known to teammates as “Bam Bam,” caught fire from beyond the arc.
Anitielu knocked down three consecutive three-pointers in the second quarter, igniting the Scorpion offense and helping break the game open.
“I’ve talked to them a lot about reading the defense and taking what they give you,” Adair said. “Don’t force it. Run the offense and let it work for us. When we swing the ball we’re going to get good looks, and she was very aggressive. She’s just the fiercest competitor and her leadership is huge for us.”
Anitielu led all scorers with 27 points, while also contributing eight rebounds and three blocks in a dominant all-around performance. Caris Dale added 16 points for Farmington as the Scorpions continued to build their lead throughout the second half.
The victory advances Farmington to the state quarterfinals, where they will face district rival Volcano Vista Hawks in what promises to be another intense matchup between familiar opponents.
Adair knows the rivalry well.
“It’s huge because we both know each other so well,” Adair said. “They’re very disciplined and Coach Villareal is one of the best coaches in the state. They’ve got a good experienced group with four starters back from last year.”
The Scorpions and Hawks have already met twice this season, setting up a highly anticipated third meeting with a trip to the semifinals on the line.
“We’ve got to take care of the ball, win the turnover battle and make our free throws and layups,” Adair said. “From here on out, everybody we play is going to be good.”
Farmington will now turn its attention to the quarterfinals of the New Mexico State Basketball Championships, where the Scorpions will face the No. 10 Volcano Vista Hawks on Tuesday, March 10th at The Pit in Albuquerque at 8:15pm last game of the evening you can listen to the game live on 92.5 KRWN FM. Volcano Vista advanced with a 45–36 victory over the No. 7 Centennial in the opening round.
