Texico boys improve to 19-0, top Ruidoso 72-59

TEXICO — Nineteen up, nineteen down.

No, that's not as easy for the Texico High boys basketball team as it may sound — though the Wolverines might make it look that way sometimes. But they were indeed 19-0 by early Saturday night, after taking care of a good 4A Ruidoso team 72-59 at Texico High School.

This one came following a slow start, as Texico games sometimes have this season, but it ended the same as those others did.

"I think it was a quick turnaround from (Friday) night's game (against Lovington) that expelled a lot of energy," Texico head coach Ty Thatcher said of his players' early struggles that saw them trailing 10-7 near the end of the first quarter. "We really couldn't get in a flow early. That (Ruidoso) team's got some ability and really plays pretty good defense. And they obviously can shoot; so many times, they had the ability to knock down perimeter shots."

"We had a quick turnaround from (Friday) night, and I think we came out not as focused in the first quarter," Texico junior point guard Dalton Thatcher said after dropping in a game-high 28 points. "But I know we stepped it up after, played together."

In that first quarter, though, it had been a 7-all game before Ruidoso grabbed a three-point lead when Josh Romero canned a trey.

"We didn't come out with a lot of energy at first," said Texico forward Nathan Phipps, "and that really hurt us."

Phipps knocked down two free throws that narrowed Texico's deficit to 10-9, and soon after a Dalton Thatcher steal, the guard canned a three to give the Wolves a 12-10 advantage. The Warriors tied it on their next possession with a long two from Juan Aguilar, but Thatcher scored underneath in the period's waning moments, giving Texico a 14-12 lead.

There were still three quarters to go, but Texico would never trail again.

Early in the second, Thatcher scored off the dribble to make it a 16-12 game, and he soon followed with a trey to give his team a 19-12 edge.

"I felt better (than in the first quarter), got in a groove," he said. "That's what you've got to do."

Ruidoso, though, closed to within a point on treys from Josiah Polendo and Gabriel Dorame, but a Phipps layup made it 21-18.

After a free throw by the Warriors' Sebastian Polendo, Thatcher hit a three from the left elbow, soon followed by a pair of Cayd Bilbrey foul shots that stretched Texico's lead to 26-19. A Caden Clavenger three brought Ruidoso with 26-22, but on the Wolves' next possession, Skyler Davis snaked his way inside for a layup that he punched off glass.

After Texico regained possession without Ruidoso scoring in between, Phipps put one in to give the Wolverines a 30-22 advantage, which was the margin at halftime.

"I think when they extended the lead after the first quarter, we were making some desperate passes, giving them some easy layups on the fast break," Ruidoso head coach Billy Page said.

Texico rolled on in the third quarter. Phipps - all six feet and five inches of him - looked absolutely guard-like when he stole the ball on Ruidoso's half-opening possession and drove for a layup to hand Texico its first double-digit lead of the day. And not long afterward, a Wolverines possession that began with a Thatcher steal ended with a Davis bucket to make it 34-22.

The Wolves were on their way to 19-0.

"By the end of the game," Phipps said, "we were firing on all cylinders."

Ruidoso came away still no slouch at 12-6.

"Both of us played hard," Page said. "This is the kind of game you want to come watch."