Tucumcari teams sweep Floyd

The Tucumcari Rattlers and Lady Rattlers swept Floyd in their home openers Tuesday at the Snake Pit.

The Lady Rattlers' game was never in doubt, as they forced 38 turnovers in a 72-13 rout. The boys claimed a 59-49 victory in the nightcap.

"I'm proud of our team and the way that they stepped up tonight," said Tucumcari guard Kaycee Lease, who led the team with 16 points and five steals.

Despite the score, the Lady Broncos forced 10 turnovers and controlled the rebounds in the first half.

"We need to box out and be more aggressive getting rebounds," said Tucumcari guard Aliyah Herrera, who added 15 points.

"Herrera's performance lit a fire in the team and even surprised me," said Gary Hittson, Lady Rattlers head coach.

Hittson said the girls played a fast-paced game, which helped in causing turnovers, and transitioned well between offense and defense.

Herrera said the team will now focus on preparing for the Lady Lions tournament on Dec. 1 at Santa Rosa.

"As long as we play as a team and come out with the same intensity we can run with the best of them," Herrera said.

Boys - The Rattlers used a third-period rally to push past the Broncos.

"We just have to keep pushing the intensity when we are on the court," said Tucumcari forward Zedric Henderson Greene, who scored 10 of his 17 in the second half.

Jose Flores-Duran led the Rattlers with 22, including 18 after halftime.

"We need to come out strong from the very beginning," Duran said. "We were flat in that first half and it hurt us."

The Rattlers were unable to match the Broncos' intensity in the first half and were outscored 11-3 in the second period. The Broncos pushed the Rattlers with an 11-point run to open up the second period.

Tucumcari had trouble breaking away with 24 turnovers to 16 for the Broncos.

"The guys tried to take off before they secured the ball," said John Span, Rattlers head coach. "They can not transition into a breakaway without first securing the ball."

Span said turnovers were an issue especially against the Broncos who seemed to come up with the loose ball possessions and rebounds.

"We gave them too many second- and third-shot opportunities," Span said. "It put us in a hole going into the second half of the game."

Span said the Rattlers were able to regain their composure in the second half and turn the tables on the Broncos with a 10-2 run. He said the once the Rattlers regained the lead they pressed the Broncos to disrupt their efforts to rally back.

Span had concerns about the Rattlers' 13-of-23 effort from the line, noting the team can't always leave 10 points on the court.

"A win is a win," Span said, "whether it's by 1 point or 15, although those points would have made it a much different game."

Span said the Rattlers will play next on Dec. 3 at Mora.

"We have a lot of work to do," Duran said. "We can attribute our shaky play to first-game jitters, but that has passed. It's time to take care of business."