Rams pull sweep at Texico with late heroics

TEXICO — This is starting to become a habit for the Portales boys basketball team.

Last year, the Rams won in Texico 35-34 when guard David Rodriguez made a free throw with no time on the clock. Friday night, senior forward Reyes Calbert nailed a 3-pointer as time expired to give PHS a 66-63 win over the Wolverines.

CMI correspondent: Joshua Lucero

Ram freshman Sheraya Cox puts a shot over Texico defender Chasity Sharp during the Rams Friday night game against the Texico Wolverines at Texico High School.

Portales cruised to a 45-24 victory in the girls varsity matchup.

With the boys game tied, the Wolverines had a chance to win in the closing seconds, but junior Miguel Reyna's 3-pointer from the left wing was off and the Rams ran down the rebound in the corner, getting a timeout with 4.4 seconds left.

PHS inbounded the ball past midcourt, then used another timeout with 3.5 seconds to go. When play resumed, Calbert raised up from the left wing and swished the game-winner.

"Sometimes what it comes down to is you've got to have kids make plays, and Reyes made a play," Rams coach Rickie McBroom said. "I'm just really proud of my kids. Even after (the Wolverines) made their run, we ran some really good offensive sets when we had to."

Portales (10-6) led by as much as 13 points in the second quarter before the Wolverines (10-5) pared their deficit to 28-23 at the half.

Then Reyna, averaging more 20 points a game but held to just six free throws in the opening half, got going. He buried a pair of 3-pointers and scored 13 points in the third quarter, and added nine more points in the final stanza.

Texico opened a 55-51 lead with just over four minutes left before Portales rallied back.

"We just weren't clicking real well in the first half," Texico coach Ty Thatcher said. "This was the first time in a while we've had somebody run an overplay man-to-man defense against us."

Senior Zach Blaeser led Portales' balanced attack with 13 points before fouling out late, while Calbert finished with 11 and sophomore Daniel Sanchez added 10. Junior forward Jonah Walls added 10 points for Texico, which stayed in the contest by hitting 23-of-32 free throws.

The PHS girls limited their Texico counterparts to just four field goals in the varsity opener.

Senior guard Hannah Cissell hit two 3-pointers in the opening stanza, and freshman guard Sheraya Cox beat the buzzer with a rebound shot as Portales (12-6) claimed a 13-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

CMI correspondent: Joshua Lucero

Ram junior Zachary Campbell shoots a layup past Texico's Rallin Harris during the Rams Friday night game against the Texico Wolverines at Texico High School.

It only got tougher from there for the Lady Wolverines (9-6). Cissell's 3 in the final minute made it 25-9 at halftime, and Texico was simply unable to mount enough offense to come back.

"Hannah seems to get us going a lot of times," Lady Rams coach Clay Stout said. "She's our only senior, but that's what seniors do.

"We were getting pretty good movement in our offense. I really thought the girls did a good job of finding areas to attack."

Cox led Portales with 10 points, followed by Cissell and junior Savannah Vincent with nine apiece. Senior Rae Lynn Prather and freshman Brianna Reyna scored six points each for Texico (9-6), which converted 15-of-22 free throws.

"The second half, we were much more aggressive," Texico coach Richard Luscombe said. "When you have eight shots the whole first half, there's not very much consistency, but there were a lot of positive things out of the second half that we can build on."