Cavegirls Magical Run at State is Over

Bits & Pieces by Don Eskins

During semi-final-round play, the Carlsbad Cavegirls’ magical run in this year’s Class 5A State Basketball Tournament came to a halt on Thursday afternoon, March 13, following a 71-38 loss to the top-seeded and top-ranked Hobbs Eagles.

And what a run it was! The Cavegirls, underdogs in the first, quarterfinal, and semi-final rounds of the state tournament, registered two huge upsets en route to their semi-final meeting with Hobbs.

Seeded 12th for the tournament, Carlsbad slipped past the fifth-seeded (21-5) Albuquerque Bulldogs 31-29 and then followed that up with a narrow 60-56 victory over the fourth-seeded Farmington Scorpions (23-6) before taking on the Hobbs Eagles.

Overall, the Cavegirls closed out 2024-25 at 20-11 and ranked 11th in Class 5A play by MaxPreps.

“Our staff couldn’t be more proud of these girls. Throughout the year, they grinded and gave their all,” said Cavegirl head coach Matt Enloe. “In a season that, at best, could only be described as up and down, our girls never gave up. No group of girls could have worked harder to get to this year’s state tournament.

“When we finally found out that we were in and seeded 12th, I told our girls it was a really good spot for us. As the 12th seed, I felt like we matched up well with the fourth and fifth seeds, Albuquerque High and Farmington,” he said. “I told them that with a great effort and some solid play on the floor, we could beat both of them. Then they went out and proved me right.”

When it came to battling their way to the state tournament’s semi-final round, it took the efforts of all the Cavegirls on this year’s roster to get it done. That’s especially true for senior leaders Jasmynn Gonzales, Becca Brown, Cameron Zumbrun, Maci Garcia, and Abbey Dugan, along with juniors Hayden Brose and Faith Kluesner.

Only two other CHS girls’ basketball teams have ever reached the state tournament’s semi-final round. History will now say that the 2024-25 Cavegirls made it three!

Congratulations, Cavegirls. Carlsbad couldn’t be prouder!

Dugan a New Mexico All-Star

With the prep basketball season now over, post-season honors have already zoomed in on Carlsbad’s Abbey Dugan. Dugan, a 5’9” senior guard this year, has been selected as a 2024-25 All-Star.

In leading the Cavegirls to a 20-11 record and the semi-final round of the Class 5A State Basketball Tournament, Dugan scored 506 points, an average of 16.4 points per game.

With the Cavegirls 31-29 victory over Albuquerque High and their 60-56 win over Farmington, Dugan’s prowess with the basketball couldn’t have been more on display than it was during CHS’s deep run into this year’s state basketball tournament.

Against the Bulldogs, Dugan dropped in 22 points, and versus the Scorpions, 31. In their 71-38 loss to Hobbs, she scored 12.

“Abbey’s the hardest working kid I’ve ever coached, and she’s certainly deserving of all the accolades that should be coming her way during the aftermath of our season,” said coach Enloe. “Not only is she a great athlete, but she’s also an even better person. As her coach, I couldn’t be more proud or more excited about her selection to this year’s New Mexico All-Star team.”

This year’s Red vs. Green Basketball All-Star game is scheduled to get underway at the Ralph Tasker Arena in Hobbs on Saturday, March 22, at 2:30 p.m. Dugan will be a member of the Red team.

From Carlsbad Local Sports, congrats, Abbey, and best to you in all you do!

Dugan has already signed a letter of intent to compete collegiately for Hardin Simmons University during 2025-26. At Hardin-Simmons, she’ll compete in soccer.

Semi-Final Recap

HHS 14-18-22-17--71

CHS 08-09-11-10--38

Scoring: Abbey Dugan 12, Jasmynn Gonzales 8, Becca Brown 7, Hayden Brose 7, Jayla Bragg 2, and Serenity Medrano 2: 2pt. FG’s- 7; 3pt. FG’s- 4; FT’s 12-18-67%. (CHS Stats)