ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It was a packed Pit on Friday night for the class 4A girls basketball championship between top ranked Kirtland Central and No. 2 Gallup. It was the fifth meeting of the year between the two schools, and in the end, it was the Lady Bengals walking off the court with the blue trophy with a 57-47 win.
The difference in the game came down to the second quarter. After eight minutes the Broncos led 16-10, then the Lady Bengals went on a 10-0 and outscored KC 25-8 in the period. Kirtland Central responded in the second half with a run of its own, outscoring Gallup for the half, however it wasn’t enough to overcome the second quarter deficit.
Only five Lady Bengals scored during the game (all starters), but they all played effective minutes. Led by Rylie Whitehair’s 18-point, 13 rebound performance, four Gallup players finished the night in double-figures.
The win marks the 7th girls basketball championship in Gallup’s school history.
