Lady Cats post win over Roswell High

ROSWELL – Clovis High’s girls didn’t exactly win with style points on Friday night, but the Lady Wildcats did secure a first-round home game in this week’s District 4-5A tournament.

Senior guard Zarai Lewis scored 14 points, and the Lady Cats opened a 12-3 lead at the quarter en route to a 40-25 victory over Roswell High at Rock Staubus Gym. They will host the Lady Coyotes (9-17, 0-6 district) in a 6 p.m. tilt on Tuesday at The Rock.

Hobbs routed Carlsbad 59-28 on Friday, leaving those teams tied for the district regular-season title. They have a 6 p.m. playoff game set for Monday in Roswell to determine the top seed in the four-team event.

The Lady Cats (18-7, 2-4) beat Roswell High 61-31 in the earlier meeting in Clovis. Coach Jeff Reed said his squad essentially did what it needed to do to win in the rematch.

“It was just an ugly game on the road,” he said. “It was one of those things where you get on the road and win it and get ready for Tuesday.”

Despite being generally dominated by the Lady Eagles and Cavegirls, Reed isn’t selling his team short this week.

“We have an opportunity to do some special things,” he said. “We just have to put it together.”

Sophomore JayLynn Benitez was the Lady Coyotes’ top scorer, finishing with nine points.

In the boys game on Friday at The Rock, Roswell High clinched the No. 3 seed in the district with a 58-50 victory over the Wildcats behind 18 points from senior Ivan Miramontes and 13 from sophomore Rylan Sarracino. The Coyotes (13-13, 2-4) host Clovis (10-15, 0-6) in a 6 p.m. first-round match on Tuesday.

Roswell High led wire-to-wire, building an 18-8 lead in the opening stanza. The Cats got within two points twice in the third quarter, but couldn’t get over the hump.

Juniors Marvin Cox with 16 points and Champ Gooden with 13 paced the Cats, who went 2-of-16 from 3-point range and 8-of-23 from the free throw line.

Carlsbad 41, Clovis 24 (Tuesday) – For the second time in district play, the Cavegirls held CHS under 10 points in a half and shut the Lady Cats out entirely for a quarter.

Clovis led early 5-0 and still maintained a 7-5 advantage after eight minutes, but was outscored 14-0 in the second stanza and never recovered.

“We came out blazing to start the game,” Reed said. “But then we went about (the equivalent of) two quarters without scoring.”

Reed said it’s just tough to get Carlsbad (24-3, 5-1) out of its deliberate style.

“They’re good; they do what they do,” he said. “We just turned the ball over way too many times.”

Only sophomore center Jasmynn Gonzales reached double digits for either team, leading the Cavegirls with 10 points. Junior post Kailyn Jefferson was Clovis’ high scorer with nine.