Clovis overcome early Storm surge

Rio Rancho Cleveland took an early 7-0 hit from Clovis High's girls Friday night, then knocked them back on their heels a bit with the next 11 points.

Eventually, though, the Class 5A top-ranked Lady Wildcats had too much for the Storm and improved to 12-1 for the season with a 64-33 victory at Rock Staubus Gym.

Trailing 13-12 after one quarter, Clovis turned up its defense in the second stanza, holding Cleveland to just one field goal over a 12-minute stretch that carried into the middle of the third period.

"Cleveland came out and played hard," CHS coach Jeff Reed said. "We need to be pushed like that. They were aggressive and physical and got after us.

CMI staff photo: Tony Bullocks

Clovis senior Miranda Loera is fouled on her way to the basket in the first half of Friday night's game against Rio Rancho Cleveland at Rock Staubus Gymnasium in Clovis. Loera converted both ensuing free throws and finished with four points in Clovis' 64-33 win.

"This is only the fourth 5A team we've played this year, and 5A is another level, with the physicality of it."

The Lady Cats eventually wore down Cleveland, which didn't sub until the second quarter. Storm coach Felicia Boatman said her team was down a couple of bench players due to injury who could have helped rectify that a bit.

"We were patient in the first quarter, and then they went on a little 6-0 run and we got flustered," Boatman said. "It was just a bad second quarter for us."

Sophomore guard Danni Williams led the Lady Cats with 17 points, although she struggled at times with some shots she normally makes. Junior guard Brandi Gomez added 13 points, four rebounds and a team-high three assists as 10 Clovis players broke into the scoring column.

"They had a lot of heart, I'll have to say that," said sophomore post Shelby Jones, who had a strong second half and finished with nine points and a team-best six rebounds before fouling out late. "We just didn't execute like we should have at the beginning."

Senior guard Courtney Lawson scored 11 points and junior post Erin Carrica added 10 for the Storm.

CMI staff photo: Tony Bullocks

Clovis senior Jenna Sievers works her way around the Cleveland defense in the first half of Friday's night game at the Rock.

Williams had eight points in the opening quarter, but eight players contributed scoring in a 17-4 blitz in the second period that opened a 12-point lead at halftime. The Lady Cats finished it off with a 22-5 run in the final segment.

Jones said she wasn't worried at any point.

"I figured we would come back," she said. "I think we realized we needed to step up and do what we needed to do.

"We just need to focus more on the big picture. We just need to keep moving forward."

Boatman didn't see a lot her team could build on from the game.

"I don't feel good about it, that's for sure," she said. "The first quarter we were boxing out (on the boards) and we kind of took them out of it. But we didn't respond well to (Clovis' surge)."