Lady Rattlers fall 60-14 to Logan

One thing is for sure: The Tucumcari girls basketball team will gain a lot of experience against full-court presses this season.

The Lady Rattlers got another bitter taste of that defense Thursday during a 60-14 loss against area rival Logan during Tucumcari's home opener at the Snake Pit.

Tucumcari fell behind 15-0 in the first quarter and trailed by more than 20 midway through the second period. The Lady Rattlers committed scores of turnovers and struggled to move the ball past the halfcourt line against Logan's press. Tucumcari didn't score its first field goal until the first period had nearly expired.

"Everybody in the state is going to press us because they know we're young," Tucumcari coach Gary Hittson said.

The Lady Rattlers have only one returning starter from a team that advanced to the Class 3A quarterfinals last season.

When asked what he told his girls after the game, he said: "Just keep working hard and try to get better. The games that really matter start next Tuesday, with district. We got Dexter on Tuesday and (New Mexico Military) Institute on Thursday."

Logan coach Glynna Strand said she could relate to Tucumcari's struggles with inexperience.

"I only have one player who played a lot of varsity last year," she said. "We've got bunch of new girls trying to gel, and we didn't have any summer games to help to try to help you work out those kinks."

Strand said her team's execution of its press defense wasn't great, despite the favorable results.

"Tucumcari handled the press better than I wanted them to," she said. "My girls aren't quite there yet where I want them to be, press-wise."

Noting how quickly the game became lopsided, Strand added: "We didn't stay in the press very long because you hate to do that to people."

Worse yet, Tucumcari's leading scorer and lone returning starter from last season, sophomore Alexus Lafferty, sprained an ankle less than three minutes into the third quarter. Lafferty didn't return to the floor, though she still scored a team-high 10 points.

Caylee Benavidez, an eighth-grader, scored the other four points for the Lady Rattlers.

For Logan, Kambry Burns scored a team-high 15 points, and Kyra Conway added 14.

The only significant blemish on the Lady Longhorns' scorebook was its mediocre 16-for-30 performance from the free-throw line.

Strand said foul shooting has been an ongoing problem, and she said she doesn't have a lot of time to devote to it during the condensed season.

"Normally, I'd be working free throws very heavily. But when you're playing a game and having just one practice, it's hard to work it in because there's so much you have to hit on in practice," Strand said.

"We're not getting the work on skills like we would in a regular year. In a season like this, you don't have time to build on that."

Clayton 63, Tucumcari 15

An exhausted Lady Rattlers squad fell 63-15 during a non-district game Friday on the road.

"We played a great first four minutes and ran out of gas," Hittson said. "Playing five games in eight days took its toll on us; the girls are tired. The schedule we have played thus far will make us a better team."

Benavidez and Lafferty each scored six points to led Tucumcari.

Tucumcari ended the week with a record of 0-4.

Clayton improved to 2-1.

Melrose 56, Tucumcari 8

Tucumcari again took it on the chin during a 56-8 road loss April 6 against Melrose, considered again to be a contender for the state title in Class 1A.

Lafferty scored six points to lead the Lady Rattlers.

Melrose ended the week with a 3-0 record.