The host Rangers (6-2) shook off the rust of a holiday layoff to beat Peñasco 80-64 in Thursday’s opening round.

Cody Najar had 31 points and Amrick Vasquez 20 as they carried a 38-26 lead into halftime.

Head coach James Branch gave his team three days off for Christmas, then had the team meet with an assistant coach for a light shootaround Wednesday.

“I was concerned, to be honest with you,” Branch said. “I don’t like doing that. I hadn’t seen these guys for four days until we got here for the game.”

The Rangers opened a 22-point lead in the third quarter before the Panthers (5-5), coming off a fifth-place finish at last week’s Ben Luján Tournament, cut into the margin.

Lorenzo Chavez added 14 points for Mora.

Alvin Lujan had 19, Josh Gurule 17 and Dan Rodriguez 10 for Peñasco.

Mora will face Monte del Sol in the semifinals while Pecos is scheduled to face Santa Rosa.

Monte del Sol 81, Wagon Mound 52

Wagon Mound only suited up seven players, allowing the Dragons to wear the Trojans down behind 21 points from Antonio Tapia and 17 from Denis Mares. Luis Lazaya added 13.

Monte del Sol led 15-9 after one quarter and blew the game wide open by going on a 30-13 run in the third quarter.

Pecos 62, Escalante 18

The Panthers (6-1) scored the game’s first 27 points and led 45-10 at halftime. Enough said.

Aaron Lujan had 17 points and Johnny Vigil 13 in the winning cause. Brandon Quintana added nine.

Brandon Gonzales was the Lobos’ top scorer with just six points. Escalante managed just two points in the fourth quarter.

Santa Rosa 71, McCurdy 60

Robert Zamora’s game-high 22 points helped the Lions erase an early deficit. Trailing 13-12 after one quarter, Santa Rosa steadily pulled away in the second half as Miguel Cisneros and Tim Velarde combined for 28 points.

Santiago Lovato was McCurdy’s top scorer with 16. Daniel Arroyo added 15.

El Paso Cathedral 43, St. Michael’s 39

In Clovis, the Horsemen squandered a five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter in the opening round of the Milk Cow Classic at Rock Staubus Gymnasium.

Daniel Ortega was the only St. Michael’s player in double figures with 11 points. The Horsemen led 14-6 after one quarter and 29-24 after three, but were outscored 19-10 in the final eight minutes.

St. Michael’s (3-4) drops into the consolation round and will meet the Clovis junior varsity on Friday afternoon.

abq. Manzano 59, Española Valley 58

In Rio Rancho, T.J. Holyfield broke the Sundevils’ hearts with a 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds left to advance to the semifinals of the John Sapien Holiday Hoops Classic.

Española missed a one-and-one before Holyfield’s heroics. The Sundevils will play Cleveland in the consolation semifinals.

Kyle Gaines had 19 points for the Sundevils but he missed the last four minutes after fouling out.

Nathan Cordova added 13 and John Cotton 12.

Manzano was led by Keeshan Turtle-Morales’ 20 points, and Holyfield added 11.