Win over Rio Rancho makes it four straight for 'Cats

CLOVIS — If nothing else, the Clovis High Wildcats have played a fairly challenging early-season schedule.

That resulted in some losses out of the gate, but the Cats have now strung together four consecutive wins after pulling away late from Rio Rancho 68-53 on Saturday night at Rock Staubus Gym.

Senior forward Darion “Ro” Morgan led four players in double figures for the Cats (5-3) with 15 points, and also grabbed a team-leading nine rebounds.

“I knew it would be a tough game,” CHS coach Jaden Isler said. “Both teams played (the previous) night. I knew it was going to be a game of toughness and fighting through fatigue.

“It’s just nice to be on the right side of .500.”

Neither team led by more than five points until the Cats scored the final basket of the third quarter and the first four points of the fourth for a 49-42 advantage. That was enough cushion for them to make life tough the rest of the way on the Rams (2-4), coming off an appearance in the Class 6A state football championship game three weeks earlier.

“We just outplayed them and outworked them (down the stretch),” Morgan said. “We kept our composure and stayed in the game.

“We’ve just got to keep working and getting better every day.”

Clovis went just 3-for-6 from the free throw line in the first half, but knocked down its first 14 charity tosses after play resumed. The Cats outscored the Rio Rancho 25-11 in the final period, helped by a 13-for-16 showing at the foul line.

That didn’t sit particularly well with Rams coach Wally Salata, who said he didn’t think his squad was getting the same calls as the home team in the fourth quarter and drew a technical foul in the final minute of play.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” he said. “We have some fault, but Clovis just shot free throw after free throw after free throw.

“Clovis is a very good basketball team, but the game shouldn’t be taken out of the kids’ hands.”

Senior guard Dewayne Dawson added 14 points for Clovis. Meantime, junior forward Mason Figueroa and senior guard Josiah Lombrano had 10 apiece and combined to go 14-of-16 from the foul line.

Isler, who also was tagged with a technical during the first half, said he likes the direction his team is headed, adding that he thought defense was the deciding factor.

“We’re a really balanced team,” he said. “Coaches say it all the time, but this team is really unselfish. (Assistant) coach (Corey) Pickett runs our defense, and (the players) are really buying into what we’re doing.”

The Cats’ bench is coming along as well, according to Isler, and contributed to Saturday’s win.

“I love our bench,” he said. “I think we’re going to get to where we’re around 10 or 11 deep. I really think we have one of the deeper benches in the state.”

The game seesawed through most of the first half, and the Rams stayed close behind four 3-pointers from reserve guard Junior Hodnett, including three in the second period when he scored 13 of his 16 points. But the Cats blanked him over the final two quarters.

Junior guard Christian Lucero added 13 points for the Rams, who have dropped three in a row.

“We battled,” Salata said. “Clovis is a top 10 team (in Class 5A), in my opinion. These are games that, you hope, prepare you for your district.”

The Cats return to action on Thursday in the three-day, six-team Griego & Sons Classic at The Rock, taking on Piedra Vista in a 7 p.m. tipoff.