No. 2 Salpointe beat No. 15 Pueblo 53-9 Wednesday night to advance to the 4A quarterfinal round where the Lancers will host No. 7 Sahuaro on Saturday night. The Cougars took care of No. 10 Notre Dame Prep 54-43 at home to set up the quarterfinal match.

Salpointe is now 18-0 in ranking games and this was the third time the Lancers defeated the Warriors this year with both squads competing in the 4A Kino Region. Pueblo (10-8) came in third place in the region behind Sahuaro (16-3). Salpointe beat Pueblo by an average score of 60-15 this year and the Lancers have an average margin of victory over Sahuaro of 67-34 in the two previous meetings.

The Lancers have a team comprised of experienced leadership in seniors Kylee Callahan (17.0 points a game) and Tessa Hastings (9.0) and junior Cambria Medina (9.3) to go along with freshmen Taliyah Henderson (11.3), Hannah Williams (6.0) and Jolee Nelson (3.6). Senior Annika Arvayo (4.5 rebounds per game rounds out the starting rotation. Callahan passed the 1,000-point career mark this year.

Salpointe blew out to a 12-0 lead against Pueblo and the team led 19-2 after the first period, 31-5 at the half and 50-7 after three. Henderson led all scorers with 15 points, Hasting added 11 and Medina scored 8. Pueblo freshman Neveah Sandoval scored 6 points to lead the Warriors.

Junior guard Victoria Cazares led Pueblo with 21.4 points a game and she became the latest Warrior to break 1,000 career points this year. Freshman Sara Galindo recorded 13.0 points a game, senior Cryztal Rodriguez (9.2) and Sandoval (6.9) rounded out the top scorers. Like Salpointe, the Warriors will bring back a strong group next year.