Pintos Gallop Past Jemez Valley in Bruce King Tournament Opener

MORIARTY, N.M. – The Moriarty Pintos opened the Bruce King Invitational with a resounding statement on Thursday, utilizing a suffocating defense and a balanced scoring attack to defeat Jemez Valley 85-17 in the tournament’s opening round.

The victory propels Moriarty into the semifinals, fueled by an offense where nearly every player found the basket.

Balanced Offensive Attack

Devin Ortiz led the charge for the Pintos with a game-high 15 points. He was supported by a deep bench that saw three players reach double figures. Ryan Waldrop and Dominic Brown both chipped in 10 points apiece, while Scott Batie added 9.

The scoring was widespread across the roster:

• Nathan Dick & Sam Pearce: 8 points each
• Jayden Carlson & Abe Sloan: 6 points each
• Judah Sloan: 6 points
• Mateo Griego-Manley: 5 points
• Mario Romero: 2 points

Also contributing to the rotation was Jaxon Cordova, as the Pintos maintained high energy throughout the contest.

Executing the Game Plan

Following the game, Moriarty head coach Caleb Encinias praised his team’s ability to translate practice drills into game-time execution. Specifically, he highlighted the team’s improved ball movement and focus.

“We improved on all the things that we paid attention to in practice yesterday, and then shoot around today after school,” Encinias said. “So we’ve been focusing on quicker ball movement, making the extra pass. We did a tremendous job of doing that.”

Encinias noted that the team’s preparation against pressure defense paid off significantly.

“The half court we focused on executing our press breaker,” Encinias explained. “I tell these guys—and I’m not bragging—but we have a press breaker that’s built to beat any type of pressure defense. If we can execute that, have quick ball reversals and see the whole floor, we’re going to have success there.”

The coach was particularly pleased with the team’s transition game, noting that the Pintos did a good job of running the floor and finishing layups after forcing turnovers.

Looking Ahead to the Semifinals

While Encinias gave credit to Jemez Valley for playing hard, he emphasized that his squad has “bigger goals in mind” than just a first-round win. The focus now shifts to a tougher challenge in the semifinals against a local rival.

“The next step is tough,” Encinias admitted. “Thankfully, we’re already battle-tested early in the season. You know, obviously, we played against a scrappy Laguna team last week. We had a game against a top-tier opponent in Belen.”

The upcoming matchup features an “East Mountain neighbor,” (East Mountain High’s Timberwolves) adding a layer of regional pride to the tournament bracket.

“Our kids take pride in being the best team in the Estancia Valley, the East Mountains,” Encinias said. “So it’s fun to have another East Mountain neighbor in the semifinals. I think it sets up for a good matchup.”

Game time is set for 7:30 pm