ARTESIA — Playing in a true road game for the first time in more than a month, the Clovis High girls struggled to get going Friday night.

Eventually, the Lady Wildcats had too many guns for Artesia and pulled away late for a 52-41 victory, its seventh win in a row and 10th in the last 11 games.

Senior Ashlee Pierson scored 19 points — all in the first three quarters — before fouling out down the stretch. Pierson scored eight of her points in the third quarter to help CHS (15-5) open a 34-29 lead after the game was tied 17-17 at halftime.

Third-year Lady Cats coach Jeff Reed wasn’t particularly happy with his team’s showing.

“We didn’t play very good and we didn’t shoot the ball well at all,” he said, noting Clovis went 3-for-23 from 3-point range. “They packed it in a zone and just dared us to shoot.”

However, Artesia (10-11) never got closer than five in the final stanza. Junior post Paige Gardner and senior guard Khira Loera each had five points in the period, while sophomore guard Niki Clayton went 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

Reed said the Lady Cats, who host Goddard in a 7 p.m. start today at Rock Staubus Gym, didn’t play all that well on defense, either.

“They (Lady Bulldogs) did a good job of handling our press tonight,” he said. “We finally wore them down in the fourth quarter.”

Junior forward Jenna Elkins led the Lady Bulldogs with 12 points.