RIO RANCHO — After scoring only 25 and 28 points in their first two games of the Mel Otero Invitational in Rio Rancho, the Portales girls basketball team was in dire need of some better offensive output before coming home.

Against Albuquerque High in the seventh-place game, Lady Rams coach Clay Stout also knew that a quick start might accomplish that goal as well as keep an erratic Bulldogs squad from being any kind of major threat.

Portales (2-4), sure enough, burst to a 12-0 lead in the first four minutes and Albuquerque High (1-7) turned out to be no threat at all in a 61-21 bludgeoning on Saturday afternoon.

“We knew we weren’t playing up to our capabilities,” Stout said. “That wasn’t the team we had been seeing, so we wanted to get off to a fresh start today.

“We wanted to get off to a quicker start. We’d been struggling early and we felt that, if we got quicker ball movement, then we would get what we wanted.”

As well as playing better in their half-court sets, the Rams frequently attacked with fast breaks when opportunities presented themselves.

Tara Johnson, for instance, scored Portales’ third bucket after picking off a Bulldogs pass and then driving the length of the court for a layup and a 6-0 lead. The Lady Rams’ next score also came off a fast break when Jenna Wagner made a shot after a pass from Johnson.

Though Johnson, only scored six points, two of her baskets came after pushing the tempo and stopping for short jump shots. That went along with a game-high four assists for the Portales senior.

“We’d been talking about how many fast break opportunities that we just hadn’t been taking advantage of,” Stout said. “You’ve got to run the floor everytime to see if you can get an easy basket.”

The Lady Rams started the tournament with a loss to La Cueva on Thursday and then fell to Aztec in a consolation bracket game on Friday. Prior to coming to the Rio Rancho tournament, Portales lost a tough overtime decision to Hobbs on Tuesday.

“Really, I thought our legs were finally coming back after the Hobbs game,” Stout said. “We’ve been pretty tired and, I never want to use that as an excuse, but we’ve been fatigued.”

Portales’ scoring leader was a freshman as Macy Mitchell tallied 16 points. Junior Ashley Hernandez, who connected on three 3-pointers, scored 11 while Wagner added nine.

Albuquerque High, which only scored two points in the second quarter and just one in the third, was led by Ciera Jones’ 10.

“I think that, in our first two games, we were a little off,” Mitchell said. “Everyone was just on today. We all helped each other out. I think we could’ve done this (in the first two days) — and we will.”