Natalia Chavez’s half-court heave gives Volcano Vista state title
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (BVM) — The shot that left Natalia Chavez’s hand with 0.3 seconds remaining in overtime of Saturday’s Class 5A girls basketball state championship game will likely be remembered for a long time as one of the greatest moments in the history of New Mexico high school sports.
The Volcano Vista senior dribbled the ball to half court where she launched a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that banked off the glass before rolling around the rim and into the net to lift the Hawks to a thrilling 52-49 championship victory over the Hobbs Eagles.
The win gave Volcano Vista its fourth state title in program history — with the previous three coming in 2016, 2014 and 2012 — and capped a perfect 13-0 COVID-shortened season for the Hawks, but the way this particular title run ended will likely leave an indelible memory in the minds of everyone who watched history unfold on the 100-year anniversary of the first New Mexico state tournament in 1921.
Not surprisingly, the final shot from Chavez — who scored a game-high 21 points — didn’t go unnoticed on a national level. Video of the buzzer beater made its way to ESPN.com and SportsCenter ranked it No. 2 on its daily SC Top 10 feature Sunday.
