Rams top Lovington, stay in district race

If he could, Portales High boys coach Rickie McBroom would take Tuesday's District 4-3A performance against Lovington and bottle it.

The Rams used effective half-court traps to help force Lovington into 12 turnovers in a decisive third quarter that led to an 83-68 win at the Ram Athletic Center, preventing Lovington from clinching the regular-season district title.

If Portales (14-10, 2-1 district) beats Ruidoso at home on Friday night, the Rams and Lovington (9-17, 3-1) will have a playoff for the top seed in next week's district tournament. PHS athletic director Mark Gallegos said the game would likely be played at 7 p.m. on Monday in Roswell, probably at New Mexico Military.

Nine players combined for points in a typically balanced PHS attack, led by junior forward Daniel Sanchez with 14, senior forward Reyes Calbert with 13 and junior guard Jarret Faust with 12.

"I guess we decided to play some team ball tonight," said Calbert, who scored all but two of his points in the second half. "The last few games we've been off a little bit, but tonight we pulled together."

It was the third-highest scoring output of the season for the Rams, topped only by a 90-39 rout of Zuni in a mid-January tournament at Hope Christian and an 84-56 thumping of Andrews, Texas, in a holiday tourney at Littlefield.

Still, McBroom was more impressed with the defensive effort.

"I'm so proud of the kids," he said. "We came out and played so hard on the defensive end, and that was the difference in the ballgame.

"That's the best four quarters we've put together all year."

The game was tied at the end of each of the first two periods, but PHS erupted for 50 points in the second half, much of it fueled by its defense.

"Our guards stepped up and put some pressure on them," Chavez said.

The teams exchanged the lead a couple of times early in the third stanza before the Rams went on a 7-0 run in less than a minute to take the lead for good.

Portales finished the period on an 11-2 burst to open a 60-47 cushion, and was never threatened again.

"We just extended our guards, and they caused all kinds of problems," McBroom said. "I think every kid that stepped on the floor contributed."

Senior guard Jason Hare, who hit four 3-pointers, and 6-foot-5 sophomore post Stephen Lennox scored 15 points apiece for Lovington, but the Wildcats couldn't overcome the Rams' third-quarter blitz.

"They were aggressive and attacked us," said Lovington coach Chris Brattain, whose team has completed its regular season. "They got us in a little foul trouble.

"The bottom line is I got outcoached. We just have to go back to work."