Portales basketball preview capsules

GIRLS

Portales (18-2, 1-0) at Ruidoso (6-13, 0-0), Ruidoso High School, 5:30 p.m.

Last time out: 18-0? No problem for the Lady Rams, who hosted a Moriarty team with that record and still came out with a decisive 47-30 win in their district opener. The Lady Warriors last played on Saturday and struggled at Artesia, losing 68-25.

Last meeting: Feb. 10, 2017. Portales visited Ruidoso late in the season and was in top form, routing the Lady Warriors 58-15.

The lowdown: Portales just keeps rolling along, even against tough opponents like Moriarty. Tonight’s matchup seems to heavily favor the Lady Rams, but they’ll still have to earn it on the court; a win won’t occur by osmosis.

BOYS

Portales (9-8, 0-1) at Ruidoso (12-6, 1-0), Ruidoso High School, 7 p.m.

Last time out: The Rams were right there Friday, poised to make it a clean sweep for Portales teams in their district openers at the Ram Athletic Center, but Moriarty escaped with a 70-68 victory. On Saturday, the Warriors visited 3A powerhouse Texico, and though they led 10-7 early, Texico was up 30-22 at halftime en route to a 72-59 victory.

Last meeting: Feb. 10, 2017. Portales took care of business on the road, going to Ruidoso High School and beating the Warriors 61-40, the second of what turned out to be a three-game winning streak.

The lowdown: The Rams aren’t yet desperate for their first district win, but they’d sure like to get it tonight. Beating a district opponent on the road is doubly rewarding, and it would keep Portales above .500 overall.

— Compiled by Staff Writer Peter Stein