Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Portales High junior Evannie Fulfer goes up for a shot from the paint during Saturday's girls basketball matchup against Roswell High at the Ram Athletic Center. Fulfer posted a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds as the Lady Rams won 51-36.
Playing two games in less than 24 hours is just part of the process, as far as Portales High girls coach Wade Fraze is concerned.
After losing at Clovis High on Friday night, the Lady Rams brushed that off and posted a 51-36 victory over Roswell High on Saturday afternoon at the Ram Athletic Center.
Junior guard Myleigh Bennett (19) and junior forward Evannie Fulfer (15) combined for two-thirds of the Lady Rams' points as PHS (15-5) wrapped up its pre-district schedule. Fulfer finished with a double-double, collecting 14 rebounds, while Banda had seven caroms and six steals.
Senior guard Audrey Paden added eight points, six assists and six steals.
Banda said Friday's 50-39 loss at The Rock may have made for a quick turnaround, but she said her squad didn't really do anything different.
"We never stop playing, never quit," she said. "I love our team. We always play together and everyone does their part."
Fraze said it's not that big a deal.
"The way I look at it, you'll have to do that in the state tournament," he said.
Fulfer got the Lady Rams off to a quick start with two baskets in the first minute, and Portales ended the stanza with a 19-8 advantage.
Roswell High, though, tallied 11 unanswered points over the first five minutes of the second frame to tie it. Junior guard Tya Rippee answered with a 2-point basket and a 3, and the Lady Rams went on to lead 28-21 at the break.
"A team that can shoot like Roswell, they jumped back into it," Fraze said. "Hopefully, we can learn from that."
After a first half in which PHS went 4-of-4 from the line and the Lady Coyotes didn't get there, the teams combined for 27 free throws in the second half.
Roswell High (10-9) finished just 6-for-16.
"We had plenty of easy layups and free throws, but we were unable to convert," Lady Coyotes coach Daniel Smith said. "We played with a lot of effort. Our speed forces turnovers, but our Achilles heel is our rebounding."
The Lady Rams begin district play on Friday night at Roswell Goddard.
"I think our district will be good," Banda said. "It always is, but if we keep playing like we have I know we'll have a chance to do well."
