Portales hands Tucumcari loss

Portales' Taris Rippee scored just before the final buzzer after an offensive rebound to hand the Tucumcari girls basketball team a 60-58 overtime loss Friday at the Snake Pit.

Rippee led her team with 23 points. Tucumcari center Jasmine Jones scored a game-high 26 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Jones scored a total of 49 points in losses to Portales and Goddard, both state-ranked teams, during the week.

Despite the mixed outcome, the topsy-turvy game Saturday may prove beneficial to both teams with district games around the corner.

"It's good for us to see a team like that," Portales coach Wade Fraze said, whose team improved to 14-6. "I knew coming in Tucumcari is a very good program. They've got some tough kids to guard and good teamwork. The thing I'm most proud of with my kids is the heart they showed and never giving up. There's no quit in them."

Tucumcari (13-7) nearly pulled off a victory over the Rams, eighth in last week's Class 4A rankings at MaxPreps.com, despite Lady Rattlers senior power forward Aaliyah Brown sidelined with an ankle sprain and senior all-state guard Ashley Shipley fouling out midway through the overtime period.

"I told the girls I was proud of them," Tucumcari coach Gary Hittson said. "They played one of the best 4A schools in the state, and we had our opportunities (to win). These games get us ready for district."

Tucumcari missed Brown, a strong rebounder and defensive player, against a bigger Rams squad. At least a half-dozen times, a Lady Rattler was in good position for a rebound that was snatched away by taller Portales players.

"We couldn't match them on the rebounding," Hittson said.

Two factors made it a close game for Tucumcari. One was its excellent performance from the foul line. The Lady Rattlers went 26-for-29 in free throws, including 11-for-11 from Jones.

"The best-shooting NBA team would be happy with that," Fraze said.

The second lift the Lady Rattlers received was 14 points from freshman guard Juli Rivera, who scored several buckets on aggressive baseline moves and went 6-for-6 from the foul line.

"I've been telling her in practice and in games: 'You need to shoot the ball,'" Hittson said. "She listened and got after it tonight."

Tucumcari fell behind 17-8 late in the first quarter but slowly whittled away the deficit using a spread offense to blunt Portales' size advantage. The Lady Rattlers took their first lead, 40-39, with a Jones inside bucket early in the fourth quarter.

The period saw six lead changes. Jones swished a 3-point shot with about two minutes left to turn a 49-47 deficit into a 50-49 Tucumcari lead. With 15.7 seconds left and her team trailing 53-50, Jones scored inside and was fouled. She made the free throw for an old-fashioned three-point play to tie it.

Portales turned the ball over during the final seconds of the period while trying to set up a shot, but Shipley didn't have time to get off a shot before the buzzer.

Neither team scored in the first two minutes of overtime. That didn't mean it was inconsequential - Shipley fouled out with 1:55 left during a scramble for the ball.

"She said she was out of position," Hittson said. "She was kind of down on herself afterward, but I told her, 'No, no, we needed the rebound.'"

Reece Goldston made one of two free throws to give Tucumcari a 58-56 lead with 40.5 seconds left.

Portales was whistled for traveling with 35 seconds remaining, giving the ball back to the Lady Rattlers.

Without its main ball handler, Tucumcari struggled to get the ball up the floor against Portales' press. Rippee scored after a steal to tie it 58-58 with 20 seconds left.

The Rams made another steal with 9.6 seconds remaining. A close shot missed, but Rippee rebounded and stuck it in the basket just before the buzzer for the win.

Goddard 66, Tucumcari 41

A highly touted Goddard team seized a 20-4 first-quarter lead and made it stand up during a 66-41 victory Jan. 28 at the Snake Pit.

Roswell-based Goddard, ranked seventh in Class 4A by MaxPreps.com, improved to 16-3. The Rockets dominated on the boards and sank seven 3-point shots. Erica Cannon led a balanced attack with 19 points, while Alexis Sandoval added 17.

Jones scored 23 points to lead the Lady Rattlers, and Shipley added 17. Only one other Tucumcari player scored. That was Goldston's one point.

The Rockets led by 20 points midway through the second quarter. The closest Tucumcari came was a 17-point deficit during the third quarter was when Jones scored 11 points.