Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Tucumcari boys basketball team endured a rough start to their district schedule, losing both games last week on the road at Dexter and New Mexico Military Institute.
The Rattlers fell 60-42 on Saturday to NMMI at Roswell, though Tucumcari coach John Span said the game was closer than the score indicated. The Rattlers closed within two points of the Colts in the second half before the host team pulled away.
“We were pressing at the end, and we were giving up some easy baskets,” Span said. “That’s the reason they pulled away the way they did.”
Andrew Henderson-Clark scored 15 points to lead Tucumcari. The game originally was set for Thursday but rescheduled due to a midweek snowstorm.
Span said his team suffered many of the same problems it had in previous games.
“Turnovers and free throws again hurt us,” he said. “We didn’t miss as many (free throws) as we lost by, but we were turning the ball over, missing wide-open shots, and they capitalized. We just didn’t get ‘er done.”
The Rattlers went 20-for-37 from the foul line. The Colts went 13-for-21.
Tucumcari ended the week with a 5-14 record. In a quirk of its schedule, the Rattlers have played only three home games this season in the Snake Pit.
The Rattlers will have a rematch at home against Dexter on Thursday and will host NMMI on Feb. 15.
NMMI improved to 3-9 overall.
Dexter 44, Tucumcari 41
The Rattlers lost their district opener at Dexter due to last-second 3-pointer, but their woes from the free-throw line probably cost their chance at a victory even more.
Tucumcari made just 9 of 25 free throws during the game on Feb. 1, including 3 of 12 during the fourth quarter.
That deficiency helped set up Josh Duran’s long-range shot near the buzzer to win it for the Demons (4-10).
Dexter totaled only five free-throw attempts and made three.
“The Dexter game definitely was a game we should have won,” Span said. “That kid made a big shot at the end, but it never should have boiled down to that. We always want to go to the free-throw line more than our opponents, but we’ve got to make the free throws.”
Tucumcari also had no 3-point shots.
Henderson-Clark scored 18 points to lead Tucumcari, and Curtis Gonzales added 13.