RIO RANCHO —Clovis harassed Aztec into multiple early turnovers and converted the opportunities into the game’s first 10 points. Eventually, Clovis would move out to a 24-point lead late in the third quarter en route to a 47-36 win over Aztec on Thursday in the first round of the eighth annual Mel Otero girls basketball invitational. Sophomore Antiesha Brown led Clovis (4-2) with 24 points. She was particularly effective when being fed in the low post on passes from junior guard Mariah Sena. “She’s going to have to buy her (Sena) a milkshake,” said Clovis coach Miles Watters after the win. Sorrel Huntington, the lone returning starter from Aztec’s Class 4A championship team from a year ago, scored 21 points to lead the Lady Tigers (2-1). A pair of buckets by Huntington began a 9-2 run that kicked off the second quarter and cut the Clovis lead to five. But Lady Wildcats center Jasmine McDonald snatched away a shot by Shannon Dez, leading to a fastbreak layup by Brown that began a 27-6 run. “I think at the beginning (of the season), we came out pretty slow,” said Sena, who had five assists in the game. “But we’re starting to work as a team and get a feel for each other. I think we just needed more time in practice. It’ll get a lot better.” While the Lady Cats’ defense shut out Aztec for more than half of the first quarter, Watters was also pleased with events at the other end of the court. “We executed offensively. We hit some set plays and scored some easy baskets,” Watters said. “Up to this point, it had been kind of anything we could get on a steal or a pass, that’s what we got. But today we scored in the halfcourt, so I was real pleased with that.” The Lady Cats take on host Rio Rancho, a 37-34 victor over Los Lunas, in a 7 p.m. semifinal today. Las Cruces High 54, Portales 43 — The 5A Lady Bulldawgs decided to utilize 6-footer Devon Mulheron early and often. After a good start, fueled by Mulheron’s seven first-quarter points, the Las Cruces press and versatility kept Portales (1-3) at bay the rest of the game.