Lady Cats pull away for win over PHS

Portales High’s girls let it be known early that they were ready to play.

After a slow start, though, Clovis High got untracked and the Lady Wildcats pulled away to a 50-39 victory on Friday night at Rock Staubus Gym.

CHS (17-3) won its seventh in a row and used its advantage in depth to subdue the Lady Rams (14-5), who came in with a six-game winning streak.

Lady Cats coach Jeff Reed said he thought depth might be a factor.

“I knew we had a chance to wear them down,” he said. “We cranked it up on defense. We went to (a 2-3) zone. I was disappointed we weren’t able to (disrupt) them a little more than we did.”

Numerous players contributed to the victory. Senior guard Zarai Lewis finished with 13 points while freshman guard Gianna Cordova added 12.

“We definitely had more energy than usual, but sometimes we made mistakes that really hurt us,” CHS senior forward Mackenzie Roche said. “They came out (early) with energy. They were real aggressive.”

Portales scored the game’s first four points and led 6-2 midway through first period. The Lady Cats tied it, but junior guard Tya Rippee’s 3 put PHS back in front and the Lady Rams led 9-8 at the quarter.

Clovis went on an 8-0 run early in the second frame and eventually led by nine on a 3-ball by junior guard Brynn Petner, but Portales cut it to 23-19 at halftime on a 3-pointer by junior guard Myleigh Banda in the final 30 seconds.

When play resumed, the Lady Cats began to take control. They led 37-26 after three and eventually got their margin up to 14 points with five minutes left.

“We had a rough third quarter,” Lady Rams coach Wade Fraze said. “But I was proud of these kids. They never quit, and there’s things we can learn from this game.”

Roche certainly had a hand in the third-quarter effort, even though she only scored two points in that time. She was able to get her hands on loose balls and keep plays alive for the Lady Cats.

“I’m usually more of a defensive player, so I get energy from that,” said Roche, who finished with five points. “Once I get on a roll, my energy starts to build.”

Banda notched 13 points and five assists for PHS while senior guard Audrey Paden had 10 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

Clovis begins its District 4-5A slate on Tuesday when Carlsbad visits The Rock. The Lady Cats then host top-ranked Hobbs on Friday.

“They’re two huge games,” Reed said. “We’re playing our three biggest rivals (Portales, Carlsbad and Hobbs) all on our home floor. We’ve got to take advantage of it.”

The Lady Rams, who hosted Roswell High on Saturday, start their District 4-4A slate on Friday at Roswell Goddard.

Clovis 58, Goddard 14 (Tuesday) – At Roswell, the Lady Cats overwhelmed Goddard, forcing the Lady Rockets into 25 turnovers while committing just seven of their own.

“I was worried about their athleticism,” Reed said. “They do a good job of crashing the boards and getting second opportunities.”

Not to worry in this one, however. CHS opened an 18-4 lead at the quarter and it grew to 50-10 by the end of the third stanza.

Lewis netted 19 points and senior post Kailyn Jefferson added 18 for the Lady Cats. CHS limited the Lady Rockets to just five field goals and shot 15-for-20 from the foul line, compared with Goddard’s 3-of-8.

Senior Alessandra Porras had six points and junior Ashlee Buck five for the Lady Rockets.