Navajo Prep’s JJ Belin pulls up for a short jumper between Hot Springs’ Andre Gomez (32) and Evan Aguirre (15) during the first quarter of a Class 3A state first-round game Saturday at the Eagles Nest. (W. Dean Howard/Special to The Tri-City Record)
Navajo Prep’s JJ Belin pulls up for a short jumper between Hot Springs’ Andre Gomez (32) and Evan Aguirre (15) during the first quarter of a Class 3A state first-round game Saturday at the Eagles Nest. (W. Dean Howard/Special to The Tri-City Record)W. Dean Howard

FARMINGTON – Juniors Breyden Benally and JJ Belin led the Navajo Prep boys basketball team to a convincing 72-55 win over Hot Springs in Saturday’s opening round of the New Mexico Activities Association Class 3A state tournament at the Eagles Nest.

Benally and Belin combined for 35 points as the Eagles controlled the game nearly start to finish, improving to 24-4 and securing their ninth home win of the season.

Navajo Prep, the No. 4 seed in Class 3A, advances to the quarterfinals and will face fifth-seeded Santa Fe Indian School on Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

Belin led with 19 points, eight of which came in the fourth quarter. Benally added 16 and did most of his scoring in the second and third periods as Navajo Prep built its lead.

Boys State Tournament Opening Round Scoreboard

Class 5A: Sandia 77, Farmington 56Class 4A: Artesia 73, Bloomfield 33Class 3A: Navajo Prep 72, Hot Springs 55

Holding a 17-13 edge entering the second quarter, the Eagles opened with an 8-0 run over two and a half minutes, fueled by a three-pointer from junior Aden Clah and a turnaround jumper from Benally.

Navajo Prep outscored Hot Springs 17-9 in the second quarter and led 34-22 at halftime. The Eagles committed only four turnovers and shot 50% in the first half.

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

Navajo Prep led by as much as 23 midway through the third quarter, with key contributions from junior Breygen Benally and senior AJ John, who combined for seven points and pushed the margin to 53-35 entering the fourth.

Both teams scored well in the final period, with Hot Springs outscoring the Eagles 20-19. Senior Tristan Polanco led the Tigers with a game-high 26 points.

Hot Springs ends its season at 16-13.

Navajo Prep’s Breyden Benally rises for a short jumper over Hot Springs’ Andre Gomez during the second quarter of a Class 3A first‑round state tournament game Saturday at the Eagles Nest. (W. Dean Howard/Special to The Tri-City Record)
Navajo Prep’s Breyden Benally rises for a short jumper over Hot Springs’ Andre Gomez during the second quarter of a Class 3A first‑round state tournament game Saturday at the Eagles Nest. (W. Dean Howard/Special to The Tri-City Record)W. Dean Howard

“We knew he was going to give us problems tonight,” Garrison said. “Our focus was to minimize the damage from the rest of the team. They were a good challenge for us tonight.”

Senior Dylan Lansing, playing his final game at the Eagles Nest before the tournament moves south, scored nine points. He missed part of the second half after taking a hard fall but returned late in the fourth quarter.

The win gives Lansing 100 career victories in an Eagles uniform. The four-year starter is the team’s leading scorer, averaging more than 15 points per game.

Santa Fe Indian School, which beat Sandia Prep 65-42 in the first round, entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed. The Braves reached last season’s semifinals before falling to eventual state champion Robertson.

Wednesday’s matchup will be the eighth meeting between the teams since 2013. Navajo Prep holds a 4-3 series lead, including a 61-59 tournament win on Jan. 10.