Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Tucumcari boys basketball team salvaged a rough showing at the Citizens Bank Classic tournament with a 61-39 victory Saturday over Tatum in the seventh-place game.
Luis Archuleta led the Rattlers with 21 points, and teammate Daymion Urioste, back on the squad last week after a football-related injury, added 15 points.
Kamren Apodaca totaled eight points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots, and Jordan Rincones added seven points and eight rebounds.
Tucumcari finished 1-2 at the Texico tournament and ended the weekend 2-5 overall.
The Rattlers stormed to a 20-point lead in the first half but endangered it again with a slow start after intermission.
THS coach Gary Hittson said he will work on that aspect this week and during the Christmas break, along with addressing its ball-handling woes. The Rattlers committed 17 turnovers against the Coyotes (1-10).
“We gotta cut down on our turnovers,” Hittson said. “If we can do that, we can turn things.”
Jal 53, Tucumcari 43
Tucumcari let sizable halftime lead ebb away during a 53-43 consolation-round loss Friday to Jal in the Citizens Bank Classic.
“I don’t understand how we lost that game,” Hittson said, noting his team rebounded well but committed 18 turnovers.
Hittson also pointed to the Rattlers’ so-so showing in free throws (5-of-9) and 3-point shooting (4-of-13).
Apodaca scored 18 points to lead the Rattlers, and Archuleta added 12. Rincones added 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Jal ended the week with a 2-4 record.
Tohatchi 77, Tucumcari 45
A slow start in the third quarter made a bad situation worse for the Rattlers in a 77-45 loss Thursday to Tohatchi in the first round of the Citizens Bank Classic.
Tucumcari trailed 30-18 at intermission, then was steamrolled in the third quarter by the Cougars’ 20-11 surge.
Tucumcari shot a miserable 2-of-18 from the 3-point line. But what sparked Hittson’s ire was his team’s 29 turnovers.
“That was the key to the game, the turnovers,” he said. “”We couldn’t catch the ball, couldn’t catch a cold.”
Archuleta scored 22 points to lead Tucumcari. Julian Griego added 10 points.
Tohatchi ended the week with a 4-3 mark.