Rattlers finish third at Texico tournament

It took a team effort for the Tucumcari boys basketball team to eke out a 52-51 win Saturday against Jal and take third place in the Citizens Bank Tournament in Texico.

Jermy Jones went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and led the Rattlers with 14 points.

Alijah Martinez made three 3-pointers, and Adan Diaz added a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter for seven points for Tucumcari. Eric Acosta also scored a key bucket in the final period.

Luis Archuleta, named to the all-tournament team, scored his only two points in the final seconds to seal the victory.

"Every single point was important in that game," THS coach John Span said. "Those guys stepping up, that was big."

It also was big because starting guard Daymion Urioste didn't feel well and didn't play after hitting his head during a previous game, Span said.

Kamren Apodaca added 12 points for Tucumcari.

Jal fell to 3-4.

Tucumcari went 2-1 at the tournament to improve to 5-4.

"If we win two out of three, it's a good tournament," Span said.

The Rattlers don't play again until a home game against Melrose on Jan. 7, which gives Span and his team plenty of time to work on shortcomings.

"We definitely have to work on taking care of the ball," he said. "Our free throws are not very good. And then missing shots inside. We missed layups ... little shots inside that we got to cash in if we're going to get to where we want to be."

Texico 73, Tucumcari 57

The Rattlers fell to No. 1-ranked and undefeated Texico for the second time in less than two weeks in a 73-57 loss Friday in the semifinal of the Citizens Bank tournament.

The Wolverines raced to a 22-8 lead after the first quarter and 40-21 at halftime.

"I told them we had to match Texico's intensity," Span said. "They really get after you."

Texico led by more than 20 in the third quarter, but the Rattlers gamely rallied in the final period.

Archuleta scored 26 points to lead Tucumcari, and Apodaca added 15.

Tucumcari also lost to Texico 70-55 on Dec. 10 at Rattler Gymnasium.

Texico improved to 7-0. The Wolverines won the tournament, defeating Magdalena in the final.

Tucumcari 67, Newcomb 50

The Rattlers surged to a double-digit lead early during a 67-50 victory Thursday in the opening round of the tournament.

Tucumcari led 18-8 at the end of the first quarter, 29-17 at halftime and 43-24 at the end of the third quarter despite committing 29 turnovers.

Newcomb outscored THS 26-14 in the final period against Tucumcari's second-stringers to make it look closer.

"(Newcomb) did a good job of hitting shots," Span said. "They did some things against our younger kids I don't think they'd have been able to do against our varsity. But we're just trying to get some kids some playing time."

Apodaca scored 20 points to lead the Rattlers, and Archuleta added 14.

Tucumcari also defeated Newcomb 81-39 at the West Las Vegas tournament earlier this month.

Newcomb fell to 4-4.

Tucumcari 63, East Mountain 52

The Rattlers had a mismatch inside against East Mountain, and 6-foot-3 junior center Apodaca exploited it during Tucumcari's 63-52 home victory on Dec. 17.

Apodaca scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He tallied 12 points in the second quarter to help give THS a double-digit lead.

"Kam did a good job, and the kids fed him the ball," Span said, citing his team's 19 assists. "He had a little stretch where three or four times, we got it to him and he finished. And at that time of the ballgame, it was kind of crucial."

The Rattlers never trailed.

The only time the Timberwolves threatened was in the fourth quarter, when their 10-1 rally narrowed the Rattlers' lead to 45-39.

"We had them on the ropes, and we let them off," Span said. "They came back and made it interesting.

"I was impressed with the way they played," he said of East Mountain. "They moved the ball. They hit shots. I told the guys they're going to play hard; we have to match their intensity."

Archuleta made six straight free throws down the stretch to protect Tucumcari's lead. He finished with 15 points.

Vicente Ortiz led the Timberwolves (4-2) with 15 points, including four 3-pointers.