Rattlers to host Wolverines

Ball control, being mindful of the game situation and free throws are three issues the Tucumcari Rattlers will need to address as they look for their first district win against a stout Wolverines team.

The Rattlers (9-12, 0-2) will host the top-ranked Texico Wolverines (21-0, 2-0) Friday at the Snake Pit in Tucumcari.

The Rattlers lost 54-52 Saturday to the Clayton Yellowjackets in their second District 5-3A game in three days.

The guys will have to push past Saturday’s and Thursday’s loss at Santa Rosa (70-44) and focus on the task in front of them, said John Span, Rattlers head coach.

“We need to take care of the ball, we had an opportunity to win the game but got careless,” said Jose Flores Duran, senior forward after Saturday’s loss to Clayton.

The Rattlers trailed the Yellowjackets throughout the first half by as much as 13 points.

However, the Rattlers were able to fight back, tie the game in the third. Leading the way for the Rattlers offensive attack in the second half was Timothy Ried, who scored 10 of his 17-points in the final two periods and Duran who also scored 13 of his 15-points in the final two periods.

The aggressive play of Duran and Ried earned the Rattlers scores from field goals and free throws. It was this combination that gave the Rattlers their first lead late in the fourth period.

However the lead was short lived as missed free throws followed by unforced turnovers from rushed play gave the Yellowjackets the opportunity to regain the lead.

“I told them the clock is the enemy, we need to play smart and burn time off the clock,” Span said.

The Rattlers last chance for a tie and possibility to send the game into overtime fell short on the missed front end shot of a 1-1 penalty free throw.

“We have to have confidence when we step to the line,” Ried said. “We have to make our foul shots, it’s fundamentals, we practice it everyday.”