Melrose boys edge Maxwell for three-peat in 1A

ALBUQUERQUE - For much of the second half, Melrose's bid for a Class 1A state three-peat seemed a likely possibility.

At the end, though, Buffaloes coach Kevin Lackey admitted he was on pins and needles.

Leading by nine points early in the final quarter, Melrose had to survive a last-second 3-point attempt by Maxwell freshman Tristan Pierce, which bounced off the rim to preserve the Buffs' 59-56 win over the Bears at The Pit at the University of New Mexico.

Lackey said Pierce's shot from the corner seemed to hang in the air for 20 seconds before finally missing its mark.

"I almost passed out," Lackey said when asked what it was like watching the shot.

The Buffs (29-1) posted their third win of the season over Maxwell (25-5), and it was easily the closest. They also defeated the Bears each of the past two seasons en route to state titles, including in the 2018 finals.

"They played really well; they had a lot of kids make shots, and they made it hard for us to guard them," Lackey said of the Bears. "But we got it done."

He said the three-peat was quite satisfying.

"It's three times as nice," he said. "Usually when you win three in a row you have a bunch of egos and a bunch of attitudes, but this is an ego-free, drama-free, low-maintenance team, and they just come to work every day."

Six-foot-4 junior Tate Sorgen scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Melrose, while senior Tristan Sena and Dylan Valentine and junior Trace Jackson all had 11. Meantime, 6-6 junior Devon Bailey contributed a team-high 13 rebounds and four assists for the Buffs, while Valentine had five rebounds and five assists and Sena grabbed four caroms and handed out three dimes.

"It wasn't our best game," Sena said. "Everybody contributed to the win. (The Bears) were making a lot of tough shots around the rim, but we did enough to win."

Maxwell, which played its starters all the way into the final quarter before subbing, got 23 points and 17 rebounds from junior Kaden Riggs while his brother, senior Kolton Riggs had three 3-pointers and 13 points. Junior Caden Floyd chipped in 10 points and four assists.

Kaden Riggs fouled out with about three minutes left.

The teams went back-and-forth through a first half which ended in a 31-31 tie. Melrose appeared to get a handle on things after play resumed, but every time it looked like the Buffs were ready to break it open, Maxwell reeled them back in.

"Our kids battled," Lackey said. "We gave up a better shot than we wanted to at the end, but we kept the guy they wanted to shoot (Kolton Riggs) from shooting it."

Melrose now is the defending champion in 8-man football and in 1A boys basketball. And the win gave the school a sweep of both 1A basketball championships after the Lady Buffs downed District 6-1A rival Logan 47-39 earlier in the day.

"It's obviously big for the town and the school," Sena said. "I think a lot of people are happy we both won it."