Northern New Mexico into Men's Finals in 1st season
Cal Pac newcomer Northern New Mexico got 34 points from TJ Sanchez and 25 Ja'Kwon Hill to sink conference charter member Cal Maritime, 99-92, to advance to the men's basketball championship game.
#2 seed NNMC (9-11) will face #1 Simpson (15-11) at 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 2, at Cal Maritime. The winner will earn the Cal Pac's bid to the NAIA national tournament. NNMC joined the Cal Pac for the 2025-26 season after being part of the NAIA's "independent" conference. The Eagles advanced to their only NAIA tournament in 2014. Simpson, a league charter member, is looking for it's first men's hoops trip to the NAIAs.
Sanchez lived up to his all-conference status, steadily making clutch basket after clutch basket on 12-of-17 FGs, and 9-of-11 FTs. Backcourt mate Hill was equally efficient, making 8-of-13 shots and 9-of-11 free throws, including a key "and one" conversion with 54 seconds left to put the Eagles up 95-89 and all but end the Keelhaulers' hopes.
The first half was a tale of 5-minute extremes as NNMC jumped out to a 17-7 lead just 5 minutes in on a basket by TJ Sanchez. That seemed to wake Cal Maritime up, as the Keelhaulers went on a 23-3 run to take a 30-20 lead just 5 minutes later. Maritime led by as many as 16 (38-22) iat 6:39 in the first half, but the Eagles clawed back to within four, 53-49, at intermission.
The teams went back and forth throughout the second half, and Cal Maritime – which put five players in double figures – built a seven-point lead at 82-75 on a coast-to-coast drive by Chiron Pham. Luka Popovic topped the Keelhaulers with 19 points, followed by 17 from Lawrence Long.
A pair of costly turnovers in the final minute sent NNMC to the foul line, where the Eagles finished 22-of-29.
The loss not only ended the season for Cal Maritime, but ended a storied tradition in the NAIA and the Cal Pac. The school, assumed by the Cal Poly system, will cease varsity athletics. The Keelhaulers won 5 straight Cal Pac men's hoops titles and were a charter member of the Cal Pac in 1995.