Tularosa defeats Tucumcari

The sixth-seeded Tularosa girls basketball dashed Tucumcari’s dreams of a state-final berth by stunning the third-seeded Lady Rattlers 38-35 in the Class 3A quarterfinals March 12 at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho.

Tularosa, improving to 19-9, had lost its previous three games against Tucumcari by an average of 31 points. Shacie Marr led the Wildcats with 13 points, and Clara Lechuga added 11.

Aaliyah Brown’s 11 points and eight rebounds led Tucumcari, which finished its season 22-5. Jasmine Jones added nine points.

The Wildcats came from behind in the second half and took a three-point lead with 21.3 seconds left on Ember Cervantes’ free throw. Tucumcari tried to set up a tying 3-pointer, but the Lady Rattlers never found an open look. Kalani French’s shot several feet behind the 3-point line fell well off the mark as time expired, touching off a celebration near the Tularosa bench.

Tucumcari suffered several problems during its latest game against Tularosa, including offense. The Lady Rattlers’ 35 points was a season-low. Tucumcari had averaged six 3-pointers a game; it made two at the Star Center while the Wildcats made four. Tucumcari’s top four scorers were held below their game averages, including a scoreless Ashley Shipley. Overall, Tucumcari shot 34 percent from the field.

“The game was not us,” Tucumcari coach Gary Hittson said. “Our defense was good, but our offense was not to be found. When you have players that usually score in double figures and don’t score what they usually do, it makes it hard.”

Tucumcari committed 17 turnovers, versus 15 for Tularosa. The Wildcats also outrebounded the Lady Rattlers 35-24.

The Lady Rattlers began the game slowly, spotting Tularosa a 9-4 lead and prompting a timeout by Hittson.

After that, Tucumcari scored 17 unanswered points, led by Jones’ strong inside game, for a 21-9 lead.

Tularosa scored twice just before halftime to narrow the gap to 21-14 and kept up its strong showing in the third quarter. The Wildcats took a 25-23 lead late in the period after scoring off a steal.

The Wildcats took one of its biggest leads when Marr sank a 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter for a 33-29 advantage. Brown tied it twice on baskets, but Tularosa took the lead for good with a bucket for a 37-35 lead with 36 seconds left.

Tucumcari committed a turnover with 26 seconds left, forcing it to foul and putting Cervantes on the free-throw line. She made one of two shots, setting up the final unsuccessful possession by the Lady Rattlers.

Tularosa lost its semifinal game 56-38 to second-seeded Santa Fe Indian. Top-seeded Robertson won the Class 3A state title by defeating Santa Fe Indian 62-46.

Hittson had a few words to say about his departing seniors — French, Aliyah Herrera, Melanie Jones and Lenora Trujillo.

“It`s always hard to say goodbye to the seniors,” he said. “I hope that they are proud of what they have accomplished over the last five years, being on the team that won the school’s first district championship for girls basketball, winning a total of three district championships and making it to the state tournament four years in a row. These seniors are a big reason why Lady Rattler basketball is where it is today. You will be missed; remember you will always be a part of the Lady Rattler basketball family. I wish you the best in what ever the future holds for you.”

Tucumcari players making the all-district team were Brown, French, Jones, Herrera and Shipley. Honorable mentions were Trujillo and Reese Goldston.