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Carlsbad Current-Argus
CARLSBAD — Carlsbad girls basketball coach John Zumbrun spoke of one gigantic “mountain” his team’s had difficulty climbing over in years past: Clovis.
link Carlsbad Current-Argus: Matt Hollinshead
Clovis sophomore guard Jada Gillespie puts up a shot against Carlsbad’s Katelyn Clarkston during Tuesday’s District 4-6A girls opener at Carlsbad.
Over the past 20-plus years, the Cavegirls have beaten the Lady Wildcats just once — the 2011 District 4-5A tournament.
Make it two, as the Cavegirls’ offense got rolling in a 59-28 victory on Tuesday to open District 4-6A play.
Freshman guard Carsyn Boswell had a game-high 23 for the Cavegirls (18-2), who jumped out to a 20-6 lead early.
“Our kids came out just energized. We were able to get back to where we attack the basket and get it inside,” Zumbrun said. “Clovis is a ballclub that’s dominated us for 20-plus years. It feels good to finally say, ‘We got on top of Clovis.’”
The Lady Wildcats (7-12) had trouble setting up and knocking down shots across the floor, and posted 16 turnovers on the night.
“Against a good team like Carlsbad, we’ve got to handle the basketball,” Clovis coach Jeff Reed said. “We can’t have turnovers.
“Carlsbad did a good job controlling the game on the offensive end. They just did a good job passing the ball until they had a good look. When they got that look, they knocked it down.”
Sophomore forward Mimi Coleman had a double-double for Clovis with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while guards Teya Morris and Jaci Sievers scored six points apiece.
Carlsbad senior forward Rylan Gonsalez had 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals.
“I thought we had opportunities,” Reed said. “We didn’t finish shots. It’s hard in Carlsbad to shoot the ball for some reason. Even when we’ve had some really good teams in the past, we’ve always had a hard time down here. It’s just a tough place to play.”
Zumbrun said he didn’t expect Morris to attack the high-post as often as she did, but mentioned Cavegirls junior center Kim Best “was able to contain her on the drive.”
Carlsbad hosts Alamogordo while Clovis entertains Hobbs on Friday.
“Hobbs is going to play very tenacious, in-your-face defense," Reed said. "We’re going to have to handle the pressure."