Rio Rancho Twins Lead Rams to Gallup Invitational Championship

Rio Rancho sealed the championship at the long running Gallup invitational with a gritty 43 to 38 road win over the Bengals. Sophomore Madilynn Martinez led all scorers with 18 points and her twin sister Larissa added 11, combining for 29 points to carry the Rams through a tournament that featured overwhelming wins in the earlier rounds.

The Rams opened the title game with a 14 to 3 run, and Larissa scored eight points in the first quarter, making three of four free throws in the period. Gallup fought back in the second quarter, stringing together a 10 to 2 run keyed by senior Camira Cooper Randles, who scored six of her eight first half points in that stretch and helped the Bengals knot the game at 16. Rio Rancho junior Aspen Kennedy chipped in five points in the second and Larissa hit a last second three pointer to give the Rams a 22 to 20 halftime lead.

In the third quarter Rio Rancho countered Gallup runs with scoring bursts from the Martinez twins while the Bengals struggled from distance. The Rams led 34 to 31 entering the fourth, and Madilynn added seven more points in the final period to help preserve the five point margin. The final score reflected a tighter contest than Rio Rancho's earlier routs, but it completed a dominant tournament run. Rio Rancho posted lopsided earlier wins of 52 to 9 over Pojoaque Valley and 72 to 12 over Tohatchi. Across the three games the Rams scored 167 points while allowing 59, a tournament point differential of plus 108.

For Sandoval County and surrounding communities the result matters beyond a trophy. The Rams demonstrated offensive balance and depth, with the Martinez twins emerging as reliable scorers and a junior like Kennedy providing critical bench scoring. That mix bodes well as Rio Rancho moves into regular season play and the local rivalry schedule. The win also keeps area interest high in girls basketball, sustaining attendance and community support that help youth programs and school athletics budgets.

Rio Rancho returns to the court Thursday to face Centennial, carrying momentum from the Gallup title and the challenge of translating invitational success into sustained conference performance.