Clovis’ Katharine Cordova goes up to take a shot as Portales junior Jenna Wagner defends during the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game at Portales High School. Clovis won 40-32.

Portales’ Tara Johnson goes up for two-points during the third quarter of Tuesday’s game at Portales High School.

PORTALES —  The Clovis Lady Wildcats didn’t count on scoring leader Antiesha Brown getting into early foul trouble Tuesday night.

Brown picked up two fouls in the early going and sat out the rest of the half, then got two more in the third period. But sophomore Ashlee Pierson and others picked up the slack, and the Lady Cats came away with a 40-32 win over Portales in the season opener for both teams.

Pierson, who went 4-for-5 from the field for eight points and added a team-best four rebounds, said she didn’t anticipate playing as much as she did.

“I was excited to get to play,” she said. “I want to learn from my mistakes.

“I didn’t think I was going to go in for a while. When (first-year CHS coach Jeff Reed) told me to go in, I just had to get over my nervousness.”
Reed said his team simply had to adjust when Brown went to the bench.

“It always throws the game plan off when you get your best player in foul trouble,” Reed said. “I was pleased we were able to win the game with her on the bench so much.

“Ashlee did really well. Her and Antiesha are probably the two best athletes on the team.”

Clovis stepped up its pressure defense as the game went and force the Lady Rams into 25 turnovers — 20 in the first three quarters. Meantime, the Lady Cats had only one turnover each in the second and third quarters, allowing them to overcome Portales’ 28-12 edge in rebounding.

“Turnovers were the difference,” Portales coach Clay Stout said. “We lost their shooters a couple of times, but we really don’t expect to turn the ball over that many times.

“I was pleased with the girls’ effort. They played really hard.”

The Lady Rams went on a 12-2 run to open a 14-8 lead midway through the second quarter, but 3-pointers by seniors Jadee Isler and Brittany Johnson keyed a 10-1 surge that gave Clovis an 18-15 lead at halftime.

The Lady Cats stretched it to seven twice in the third period, saw Portales close to 27-25, and then built the margin back to seven when Johnson scored five points in the final 26 seconds of the period, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

Portales went the first five minutes of the final stanza without a field goal, and Clovis opened a 40-26 lead before it went the last four minutes without scoring.

“I was glad to win the game, even though it was ugly,” Reed said. “To come in here and beat them on their home court is a good thing. We can only get better from here.”

Johnson led the Lady Cats with 10 points, while four others scored at least seven. Portales junior post Jenna Wagner scored a game 15 point.

“We’re going to take a few lumps,” Stout said of his relatively untested squad, “but I think this bunch is going to be pretty good by the time we get to district play.”