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Clovis High’s boys have played a competitive schedule this season. Now, the Wildcats figure, it’s time to get down to business.
The Cats jumped on Roswell High for an 8-2 lead in the first two minutes and never looked back, blowing out the Coyotes 81-48 Thursday night in a non-district game at Rock Staubus Gym.
Seniors Jaye Crockett, Bryan Pierson and Arthur Calbert combined for 69 points for the Cats (15-9), who are trying to get on a roll as the regular season winds down.
Crockett posted a double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds, Pierson scored a season-best 22 on 10-of-18 shooting and Calbert added 20 points on 8-of-11 from the floor to go with eight rebounds.
“We were trying to play with some passion and get our team back on track,” Pierson said. “Coach (J.D. Isler) tells us if we play harder than (the opponent), we’re going to come out with the win.”
Isler said it was probably the Cats’ best game of the season in terms of energy.
“It seems like we’ve been slow ever since we came out of football,” he said. “Every game now has big implications because we just need to build on this. I still think we’re as good as anybody.”
The Coyotes (17-6) stayed in a 2-3 zone for much of the game. After the Cats’ fast start, Roswell pulled to four points on three occasions before a 16-5 blitz over the final four-plus minutes of the half staked Clovis to a 37-22 cushion.
Clovis’ pressure may have worn down the Coyotes, who committed 16 of their 29 turnovers in the second half. The Cats had 11 turnovers in the first half but only four the rest of the way.
“We just played with a lot of energy and passion,” Cats coach J.D. Isler said. “Bryan Pierson had a heck of a game. When he can do that, he really helps us.”
Pierson’s previous high was 15 points against Los Lunas in the semifinals of the Southwest Dairy Classic in late December at The Rock.
He said the Cats’ challenging schedule has saddled them with a few losses, but has toughened them up.
“I think some of our losses have actually helped,” Pierson said. “We wanted to play aggressive and with more passion.”
Calbert posted his second consecutive 20-plus point game.
“If you take (last Friday’s) Hobbs game out, he’s really played well for the last month,” Isler said.
The Cats shot 53 percent from the field, dominated the boards 33-24 and had one of their best nights of the season at the free-throw line — 21-for-27 after going 0-for-3 in the opening period. Crockett made his final 11 shots from the line after a first-period miss.
Clovis finishes the regular season with District 4-5A games on Tuesday at Carlsbad and on Friday at home against Hobbs.
“We just want to take it one game at a time and go from there,” Pierson said.
Roswell High (17-6) — Keydrick Allen 0 0-0 0, Andrew Aho 2 0-0 5, Chris Lopez 0 0-0 0, Lionel Zamarripa 1 0-0 2, Ryan Montoya 0 0-0 0, Deyton DeLaCerda 1 0-0 2, Robert Orona 0 0-0 0, Marek Olesinski 8 1-4 18, Matthew Singleton 0 0-1 0, A.J. Peralta 7 2-2 16, Jordan Wiggans 2 0-0 5. Totals 21-55 3-7 48.
Clovis (15-9) — Alex Flores 0-0 0-0 0, Bryan Pierson 10-18 2-3 22, Stefan Mills 0-2 0-0 0, Dexter Correll 1-3 0-0 3, Tanner Adams 2-3 0-0 5, Jaye Crockett 8-16 11-12 27, Dustin Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Logan Turnbow 0-0 1-2 1, Arthur Calbert 8-11 4-6 20, Kyler Brewer 0-2 1-2 1, Michael Prestage 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 29-55 21-27 81.
Roswell High 13 9 16 10 — 48
Clovis 17 20 19 25 — 81
3-pointers — Roswell High 3-13 (Aho, Olesinski, Wiggans), Clovis 2-7 (Adams 1-1, Correll 1-2, Brewer 0-1, Calbert 0-1, Crockett 0-1, Pierson 0-1). Rebounds — Roswell High 24, Clovis 33 (Crockett 11). Assists — Roswell High n/a, Clovis 12 (Calbert, Correll 4). Total fouls — Roswell High 18, Clovis 15. Fouled out — Turnbow. Technicals — Crockett. Junior varsity — Clovis 55, Roswell High 54. “C” team — Clovis 73, Roswell High 44.
