Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
A second-half scoring drought doomed the Tucumcari girls basketball team in a 52-36 non-district loss Friday at Portales.
The Lady Rattlers trailed just 23-19 at halftime, but the Lady Rams outscored them 29-17 in the final two periods to salt away the win.
Portales went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the last two minutes.
Portales held a size advantage over Tucumcari and, as a result, grabbed many offensive rebounds.
“We got in some foul trouble and wasn’t as aggressive on the boards that we should have,” Tucumcari coach Patrick Benavidez said.
The decisive stretch came in the third quarter, when the Lady Rams scored 10 unanswered points to take a double-digit lead.
Tucumcari never came closer than 10 points after that.
Caylee Benavidez scored 17 points, including three 3-point shots, to lead the Lady Rattlers.
Tucumcari, ranked sixth in Class 3A by MaxPreps.com and fifth in the latest coaches poll, fell to 11-4.
The Lady Rams were led by Brenna Jewell’s 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Tya Rippee added 11 points.
Portales, playing one of the toughest schedules in Class 4A, improved to 8-8. The Lady Rams are ranked 11th in MaxPreps.com and 10th in the coaches poll.
Benavidez expressed confidence his players would do better when they face the Lady Rams in a rematch at the Snake Pit on Feb. 4.
“We should be able to make some adjustments for the game at home when we face them again,” he said.