Rested Lady Rattlers to face Dexter

Coming off a week-long break from competition, the Tucumcari Lady Rattlers jump right into the fire with a road game at 10th-ranked Dexter followed by a homecoming match up against a top ranked Logan Lady Longhorns team.

The Lady Rattlers (16-0) will travel Thursday to play the Lady Demons (7-5) at Dexter. They will play Friday against the Lady Longhorns at the Snake Pit.

"The girls will have to be mentally prepared for these upcoming games," said Gary Hittson, head coach.

Hittson said on top of a break in action, the girls have to regain their focus to prepare for the Lady Demons in the midst of Homecoming week.

"We don't look past any team, we focus on the opponent at hand," Hittson said.

Hittson said the Lady Rattlers will continue to practice, push the distractions, festivities out of their minds and focus on the task in front of them.

"We have to push our intensity during our games and practice," said Aliyah Herrera, junior shooting guard.

Herrera, led the Lady Rattlers with 26 points in their 60-23 routing of Estancia on Jan. 11 at the Snake Pit.

"We still have issues to work on," Herrera said. "We had some turnovers because we were rushing. We play at a fast pace, but have to be mindful not to be careless with the ball."

Herrera, along with Jasmine Jones, 13 points and Kalani French,12 points, outscored the entire Lady Bears team for three periods.

However, following the substitution of the starters late in the third, the Lady Rattlers only scored two points for the remainder of the game.

"I have confidence in our bench players," Hittson said. "However, they have to a better job of taking care of the ball and scoring even when we have a lead."

Hittson said the girls need to know even though they are not starting they must have mental focus when stepping onto the court. He said having a strong bench is crucial, they have to be ready to step in should a player get hurt or in foul trouble.

The Lady Longhorns (11-3) are looking to rebound from a two-game losing streak to the Texico Lady Wolverines.

"I want this game back, to play against Texico so close a week before and to come out like this tonight is upsetting," said Kaylee Foote, senior shooting guard.

On Thursday the Lady Longhorns lost 46-27 to Texico (14-3) at Logan. Lady Wolverines Bailey Sours led the offense with 23-points.

The Lady Longhorns were unable to overcome a first period lead that was built off a 17-point scoring run by the Lady Wolverines.

Foote said the game was nothing like their 30-29 loss to the Lady Wolverines on Jan. 6 during the EPAC Championship at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales.

"There was a total lack of focus on the court," said Glynna Strand, Lady Longhorns head coach.

Strand said the girls will have to get into the right mind set this week. She said the team has to communicate better and have a renewed work ethic.

The Tucumcari Rattlers are preparing for a tough Longhorns team as they continue to learn, progress with each game, said Head coach John Span.

The Rattlers (7-9) are coming off Class 3A losses to the Pecos Panthers and Estancia Bears.

Span said during the 67-52 loss on Jan. 9 to Estancia at the Snake Pit, the Rattlers did not aggressively attack the gap. He said there were several missed opportunities to attack the basket.

Span said another issue for the Rattlers were the missed free throws against Estancia.

The Rattlers were 11 of 23 from the foul line.

"We can't afford to leave points out there like that," Span said. "Making half of those missed foul shots would have changed the whole layout of the game."

The Longhorns continue to improve and despite a loss to a stout Texico Wolverines team they are right on track, said Kyle Griffiths, Logan head coach.

"There is still a lot of work to be done, but it's still early in the season," Griffiths said. "We are doing OK, after all we don't want to peak too early."

The Longhorns (7-6) lost 74-57 on Jan 11 to the Texico Wolverines (16-0) at Logan.

The Wolverines offense was led by the trio of Nathan Phipps (21 points), Skylar Davis (18) and Dalton Thatcher (16).

"We had some issues defending against Phipps under the basket," Griffiths said. "He is a talented player who opens up many options for his offense."

The Longhorns offense was led by Dante Sanchez (21-points) followed by Coltin Roach (14 points).

Griffiths said on area the team will work on this week is improving their foul line percentage, a fundamental that can have a major impact on a game.

The Longhorns were 12-of-24 from the foul line.