Lady Rams finish 1-3 in DC Shootout

DENVER CITY — Portales High’s girls went 1-3 in their season-opening outing at the DC Shootout, hosted by Denver City H.S.

The event featured 12 teams, divided into four three-team pools. The Lady Rams dropped both of their contests in Pool D, then came back to beat Kermit 58-24 on Friday night before losing on Saturday morning to Lubbock Estacado 52-25.

Portales returns to action in a tournament starting Thursday at Stanton, Texas, where the Lady Rams will play five games in three days.

PHS dominated Kermit, opening a 36-16 halftime lead and winning behind a personal-best 20 points from sophomore guard Myleigh Banda, who also had a team-high eight rebounds. Sophomore Evannie Fulfer also had her high game, finishing with 13 points., and finished with seven rebounds while junior Audrey Paden posted seven assists and six steals..

For the Lady Jackets, sophomore Ebbin Mallory collected nine points.

In the finale, PHS ran into an athletic Estacado team which held them to seven field goals. Sophomore Tya Rippee led the Lady Rams, scoring a personal-best 10 points.

Senior forward/guard Zane McMuray-Sanders had four of the Lady Matadors’ seven 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 18 points, while freshman Kayden Sherman chipped in 10.

Banda led Portales in rebounding with six, while Fulfer had five steals.

“It was a good game for us,” Lady Rams coach Wade Fraze said. We won’t see a team that is more athletic in our class in New Mexico. They’ve got size, speed and length.

“They’re very young, but they’re a good team.”

Pool play — The Lady Rams absorbed losses to Levelland 38-26 on Thursday afternoon and to Sundown 46-41 on Friday morning.

The Loboettes improved to 5-0 in the Thursday clash, holding PHS to three second-quarter points to ease out to a 17-10 halftime lead.

“The big difference was that we had 21 turnovers, with 14 coming in the first half,” Fraze said. “It was a good game for us (after) we settled down in the second half. We played a lot more steady.”

Senior forward Laci White scored 14 points for Levelland, which later absorbed its first loss against the Class 1A Lady Roughnecks. Banda topped PHS with 12 points, while Paden grabbed 11 rebounds, senior Alivia Gonzales notched four assists and senior Cyria Aguirre had six steals.

On Friday, Sundown (8-1) built an 11-point halftime lead and fended off a late comeback bid by Portales. The Lady Roughnecks converted seven 3-pointers in the clash, including three by senior guard Kaydence Loftin, to none for the Lady Rams.

Sophomore forward Allie McCormick put in 12 points for Sundown, including a pair of 3s, while Loftin and senior guard/forward Natalie Urias finished with nine apiece. Sophomore Angel Ornelas had 11 points for PHS, and Rippee scored eight.

“They’re really good,” Fraze said of the Lady Roughnecks. “They’ve got good shooters and they’ve got good size. I think the Urias girl could play at the Division II level (in college); she plays like a boy.”