Cats need late comeback to get past Goddard

ALBUQUERQUE — If nothing else, Clovis High’s boys received a good wake-up call in the Joe Armijo Invitational, hosted by Albuquerque Academy.

Easy winners in their first two games of the season, the Wildcats (3-1) found themselves playing for fifth place in the event after rallying for a 45-40 victory over winless Roswell Goddard — a team they had drubbed by nearly 40 points in their season opener — in Friday’s consolation semifinals.

On Thursday, the Cats suffered their first loss of the season, a 55-52 setback in the quarterfinal round to previously winless Centennial.

“Honestly, it seemed like we never got off the bus,” first-year CHS coach Josh Mattox said of Thursday’s tilt. “Then it seemed like we were playing about 12 hours later.”

Clovis needed an 18-4 blitz in the final quarter to overtake the Rockets (0-4), with junior guard Keilyn Parker getting nine of his game-high 23 points in the stanza and 6-foot-5 junior Marvin Cox notching all six of his in the period.

No one would have expected that against a team the Cats had beaten 72-33 just 10 days earlier.

“I think we did get a little overconfident,” Mattox said. “But we took it as an opportunity to play and learn in a close game.”

Parker was the only player for the Cats with more than six points. Meantime, no one reached double digits for the Rockets, with junior guard Jarrod Salas posting a team-high nine points.

In Thursday’s game, the Cats inched ahead 19-18 at the half, but in the end couldn’t overcome the fact they gave up 20 offensive rebounds and committed 30 turnovers, Mattox said.

Senior forward/guard Alejandro Sedillo led the Hawks (1-4) with 13 points while junior guardNate Serna chipped in 11.

Parker was again the lone Clovis player in twin figures, finishing with 16 points.

After today’s tilt, the Cats return to action on Tuesday, hosting Portales at Rock Staubus Gym.