NMMI Sports Press
The visiting Goddard Rocket boys' varsity basketball team used a 14-0 starting run to knock off in-town rival New Mexico Military Institute, 61-33.
The Rockets used a balanced combination of inside and outside shooting, netting their first three buckets from inside the paint, before going behind the arc for their next two. Senior guard Tommy Madrid started the run, followed by a pair of baskets by senior center Dalin Stanford, created by Goddard's full-court press.
NMMI's first points didn't come until the 3:56 mark, when junior guard Hector Reyna got rid of the goose egg by sinking a pair of free throws.
The Rockets went on to take the first period 27-5.
The second period was still in Goddard's favor but a whole lot closer - 14-9 - as NMMI tightened up their defense and made far fewer turnovers on offense.
Shooting woes plagued NMMI in the third - they shot 21.7 percent from the field compared to Goddard's 41.5 percent - with the Rockets taking the period 13-4, giving them a commanding 36-point lead going into the final period of play.
The Institute won the point battle in the final quarter, 15-7, albeit mostly against members of the Rocket bench.
Top scorer of the game was Goddard's Stanford who put in 14 points, along with 9 rebounds. Madrid had 11 and junior point guard Jonah Chavez had nine.
NMMI's top scorer was Renya with 10 points. Senior forward Nigel Grubbs had seven points and eight rebounds.
With the win, Goddard's record improves to 3-2 on the season, while NMMI drops to 1-3.
Next up for the Rockets will be the City of Champions Classic in Artesia, which runs Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 7-9. Game times and opponents are yet to be determined.
NMMI has just one scheduled game before the holiday break, 6:30 pm on Thursday, Dec. 7 at home vs. Hagerman.