ALBUQUERQUE — Clovis High’s boys scored enough points to win against most teams on most nights. But Hope Christian isn’t most teams and Friday night wasn’t most nights.

Junior guard Matt Murphy scored 29 points and 6-foot-4 junior post Christian Schlenker added 26 as the Huskies took control late in the first half and beat the Wildcats 84-74 in the championship semifinals of the Joe Armijo Classic, hosted by Albuquerque Academy.

The Wildcats (2-2) will play Los Alamos for third place at 1 p.m. today. The Huskies (6-2) Rio Rancho, which beat Los Alamos in Friday’s late game 69-57, in the 7 p.m. championship contest.

CHS coach J.D. Isler said the Cats’ pressure defense didn’t have its usual effect. Four players eventually fouled out for Clovis.

“It was a tough night for us,” Isler said. “It seemed like every time we’d make a run, they’d go to the free-throw line. I don’t know why (the officials) called it so tight.

“Our press wasn’t very good the entire game. It’s been real good for us, but we got in foul trouble and it kind of messed up our rotation.”

Clovis led 14-13 at the quarter, but the Huskies used a spurt late in the half to open a 40-29 advantage at the break. The Cats made several runs in the second half, but never could get the margin under six points.

They had a chance with about three minutes left, Isler said. But senior forward Jaye Crockett, who scored 35 points for the second consecutive game, missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and the Huskies easily finished it out.

Connor Pierce, a 6-4 sophomore forward, added 13 points for Hope Christian. Besides Crockett, two other Cats reached double figures — senior guards Dexter Correll with 13 points and Bryan Pierson with 10.

Isler also lamented the Cats’ 18-of-36 shooting from the free-throw line.

“Our effort was good,” Isler said. “We just didn’t get anything going our way.”