Santa Fe High notches 61-47 win over Cats

SANTA FE — Essentially, one bad quarter Saturday night did in the Clovis High boys against Class 5A’s No. 4-ranked team.

The Wildcats, coming off an impressive home win two days earlier over Class 4A No. 2 Espanola Valley at The Rock, went back-and-forth early against Santa Fe High. But the Demons took command with a 15-5 domination of the second stanza and went on to a 61-47 victory.

CHS boys coach Jaden Isler said that, for the most part, he liked what he saw.

“I think we did a good job of making them play at a tempo that was good for us,” Isler said. “I was proud of our kids for executing what we thought could make us successful.”

Senior forward/guard Diego Ortiz led three players in double figures for the Demons (12-2) with 20 points, while sophomore guard Lukas Turner had 15 and senior forward/guard Paul Lovato scored 12.

Santa Fe High erased a two-point deficit at the quarter to lead 28-20 at halftime. Clovis (2-12) never got closer than four in the second half, but the Cats kept it fairly tight until late when they had to force the action a bit.

“I was pleased with our execution for the most part,” Isler said. “We really wanted to control tempo, and it allowed us to be in the game for a long time.”

Senior guard Luciano Webster put up 22 points for the Cats, but he was their only player in double figures.

Despite the loss, Isler remains encouraged his squad can do some damage as the season goes along.

“I like the direction we’re moving in,” he said. “I think we’re a lot better now than when we started the year.

“We’re playing well right now, but rebounding is really hurting us, especially against the top teams. Rebounding, especially on the defensive end, is the one thing keeping us from competing with the better teams.”

The Cats were set for a busy week on the road, beginning against Canyon Randall on Tuesday night. Tonight, CHS plays at makeup game at Portales before visiting Cibola on Friday night.