Girls basketball

What happened: The Sundevils needed a change in mindset Thursday in the opening game of the Sundevil Shootout at Edward Medina Gymnasium. When head coach Ray Romero learned his team had not beaten the Trojans when they faced off in summer scrimmages over the past few seasons, he didn’t hesitate to speak his mind. “I told them we’re going to beat them, because we’re together as coaches and as players,” Romero said. Española built a 22-16 lead at the half, then used a variety of defenses to keep Mesa Vista on its heels and up the lead to 37-26 heading into the fourth.

Top players: Alyanna Medina and Aliya Lopez each had 11 for the Sundevils, who had all 10 players score at least four points. The Trojans had Shanae Silva score 13 points and Tana Lopez had 12.

What’s next: Española (4-2) takes on Miyamura in the second game of the round-robin tournament at 5 p.m. Friday. Mesa Vista (1-1) plays Roswell at 2 p.m.

Boys basketball

What happened: All it took was a little turnover spell for the Blue Griffins to see a 30-27 deficit in a first-round game of Albuquerque Sandia Prep’s Sundevil Invitational balloon to nine points heading into the fourth quarter. Prep head coach Joe Vigil said his team did not rebound well despite having a size advantage, which did not sit well with him. “We have a tendency to rely on our size [to get rebounds],” Vigil said. “We need to be fundamentally sound so we can secures those boards.”

Top players: Van Anderson led the Blue Griffins with 22 points, while Mitch Grover added 15. Bernalillo had Fabian Lopez score a team-high 20 points, and Joshua Abreu chipped in with 15. What’s next: Prep (1-2) plays the host Sundevils in a consolation semifinal at 3:45 p.m.