A teen boy in a white-and-orange basketball uniform sails through the air toward the hoop holding the ball. An opponent's arm can be seen grabbing his jersey from behind.

Hoops teams battle but come up just short of Roswell High

Brienne Green

January 23, 2025

BULLDOGS

PICTURED: Trent Egeland sails in for a basket and draws a foul in the process during the first quarter Tuesday at Bulldog Pit.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

After one quarter Tuesday at Bulldog Pit, the Class 4A No. 1 Bulldog basketball team was down 23-9 to Roswell High. After three, they were up 47-46.

It was a testament to the team's never-say-die attitude that they came up just a shot short of the Class 5A fifth-ranked Coyotes in the end. Despite the 59-57 loss, the 'Dogs put forth a strong effort in their first home outing since Jan. 4 -- and their first since earning the top seed in 4A following their dominant run through last weekend's Hope Christian Tournament.

A barrage of three-pointers in the opening quarter helped propel the Coyotes to their 14-point lead. Three of those came off the hand of eventual high-point Jeremy Sambrano. The 'Dogs got an early drive to the hoop from Braylon Vega but wouldn't score again until the 5:30 mark on a Trent Egeland old-fashioned three-point play. Another Vega bucket and a shot off the glass from Steven Williams didn't quite get Artesia to double digits prior to the second quarter.

There, however, they found their advantage in the height of Clay Kincaid, who'd post four baskets in the paint prior to the half. That combined with a 4-4 throwing from the stripe by Vega, a basket and a free throw by Charlie Campbell, and a bucket each from Egeland and Tootie McNeil made the Bulldogs' deficit a more-manageable nine at the break, 37-28.

A teen boy in a white-and-orange basketball uniform goes up to the glass with the ball in his left hand.

PICTURED: Braylon Vega lays one in in the third quarter.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The boys in orange turned on the afterburners in the third, chasing an early three by Campbell with an 8-0 run that included a trio of layups by Vega -- the third coming on a fast-break, half-court bounce pass from Campbell -- and a bucket off the inbound pass by Kincaid. Six unanswered to end the period -- two from the line by Campbell, a Jack Byers offensive putback, and a shot in the paint by Egeland -- had the crowd on their feet as Artesia headed into the fourth up by one, 47-46.

A pair of baskets from Campbell had the 'Dogs in the lead by three, 51-48, midway through, but Roswell's long-range shooting wound up giving them the boost they needed in the end. A three from Rylan Sarracino -- who finished with a trio of treys on the night -- and a Sambrano layup put the Coyotes back up by two, 53-51. A Kincaid jumper and a putback from Egeland gave Artesia their last lead with just over two minutes to go, 55-53, but another longball from Sarracino and a shot in the paint by the senior made it 58-55. Campbell got one last layup in the final seconds, but following a 1-2 trip to the line by Xai Carrasco, the 'Dogs would miss their final attempt as time ran out on the 59-57 loss.

A teen boy in a white-and-orange basketball uniform lofts the ball toward the basket from mid-air as an opponent in a black uniform attempts to block.
PICTURED: Charlie Campbell puts a shot off the glass during the second quarter.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

Sarracino finished with 19 for Roswell to lead all scorers, while Vega had 16, Campbell 14 and Kincaid 12 for the Bulldogs. With the loss, the 'Dogs moved to 12-6. They'll be in for another challenge from a ranked 5A opponent Friday when they head east to take on No. 3 Hobbs at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, at Tasker Arena.

STAT BOX

Roswell High 59
Artesia 57

Artesia (12-6): Braylon Vega 6, 4-4 16; Charlie Campbell 5, 3-6 14; Clay Kincaid 6, 0-0 12; Trent Egeland 4, 1-1 9; Jack Byers 1, 0-0 2; Tootie McNeil 1, 0-0 2; Steven Williams 1, 0-0 2
Totals: 24, 8-11 57

Roswell High (16-4): Jeremy Sambrano 8, 0-0 19; Rylan Sarracino 5, 0-0 13; Jaylon Cloud 4, 0-0 8; Xai Carrasco 2, 1-2 6; Jacob Palomino 2, 1-2 5; Clarence Cheadle 0, 4-4 4; Josh Martinez 2, 0-0 4
Totals: 23, 6-8 59

Field Goals: Artesia 24; Roswell 23
Three-Pointers: Artesia 1 (Campbell); Roswell 7 (Sambrano 3, Sarracino 3, Carrasco 1)
Free Throws: Artesia 8-11 (73%); Roswell 6-8 (75%)
Fouls: Artesia 10; Roswell 13
Fouled Out: None

LADY BULLDOGS

A teen girl in a white-and-orange basketball uniform jumps above three defenders in red-and-black uniforms as she prepares to release the ball toward the basket.

PICTURED: Hattie Harrison gets behind the Roswell defense for a basket Tuesday at Bulldog Pit.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The Lady Bulldog basketball team by no means had a bad outing Tuesday against Class 5A Roswell High at Bulldog Pit. But there's not a lot you can do against a team that just won't stop hitting three's.

The Lady Coyotes dropped a whopping total of 11 bombs in the contest, and it made all the difference in every quarter but one in a 57-38 home loss for Artesia. With the game tied 4-4 early, an Ada Vasquez trey gave Roswell its first lead. Artesia was able to get back in front, 11-9, on a turnaround jumper from Jenna Whitmire, a Hattie Harrison shot off the glass, and a Kailee Padilla longball, but it would be their last advantage of the night. Another Vasquez three with under a minute to go was followed by a pair from the stripe by Emma Esquivel, and a last-second trifecta from Alayna Tarin made it 17-11 Roswell heading into the second.

Veneza Castro kicked off that period with -- you guessed it -- a three. Whitmire was able to put together consecutive baskets in the paint to pull Artesia back within five, 20-15, but at that point, Tarin went on a tear. Back-to-back three's by the senior were followed by a Seriyah Minner basket, after which Tarin struck again from beyond the arc. Whitmire finally halted the 11-0 run with a bucket, and Ashton Craft hit a trey for Artesia with 1:05 to go in the half. But a late jumper from Carmen Harvey was sandwiched by two more Coyote treys from Tarin and Destiny Gonzalez to put Roswell up by 15, 37-22, at the break.

A teen girl in a white-and-orange basketball uniform releases the ball from her right hand as a defender in black runs into her from behind.

PICTURED: Jenna Whitmire is fouled on a shot during the second quarter.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

The one quarter in which the Lady Coyotes didn't produce from behind the arc was the third, and Artesia outscored Roswell 9-6 as a result. Six of those points came off the hand of Whitmire, with Padilla going 2-2 from the line and Brooklyn Fuentes 1-2. But the Lady 'Dogs needed more to make up precious ground, and they weren't able to get it. Craft delivered her second three of the game to open the fourth and make it 43-34, but six points from Vasquez surrounded a Whitmire layup and a shot off the glass from Avery Frederick to keep Roswell up by 11, 49-38, with just over three minutes to go. Consecutive treys from Minner effectively iced the game as the Coyotes cruised to the 57-38 decision.

Despite the three-point onslaught from Roswell, it was Whitmire who'd lead all scorers in the bout with 18. Vasquez finished with 16 for the Lady Coyotes and Tarin 15. The Lady Bulldogs (8-10) will now join the Bulldogs Friday in making the trek to Hobbs for a 5:30 p.m. game against the Class 5A top-ranked Lady Eagles.

A teen girl in a white-and-orange uniform jumps to put up a three-pointer.
PICTURED: Ashton Craft knocks down a three for Artesia.
(Photo Courtesy Artesia Bulldog Paw Prints)

STAT BOX

Roswell High 57
Artesia 38

Artesia (8-10): Jenna Whitmire 9, 0-3 18; Ashton Craft 2, 0-0 6; Kailee Padilla 1, 2-2 5; Carmen Harvey 2, 0-0 4; Avery Frederick 1, 0-0 2; Hattie Harrison 1, 0-0 2; Brooklyn Fuentes 0, 1-2 1
Totals: 16, 3-7 38

Roswell High (13-6): Ada Vasquez 6, 2-2 16; Alayna Tarin 5, 0-0 15; Emma Esquivel 3, 2-2 8; Seriyah Minner 3, 0-0 8; Bryana Castro 2, 0-0 4; Veneza Castro 1, 0-0 3; Destiny Gonzalez 1, 0-0 3
Totals: 21, 4-4 57

Field Goals: Artesia 16; Roswell 21
Three-Pointers: Artesia 3 (Craft 2, Padilla 1); Roswell 11 (Tarin 5, Minner 2, Vasquez 2, V. Castro 1, Gonzalez 1)
Free Throws: Artesia 3-7 (43%); Roswell 4-4 (100%)
Fouls: Artesia 5; Roswell 10
Fouled Out: None