Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Tucumcari's Alexus Lafferty takes aim at the basket from 3-point territory while being guarded by East Mountain's Cashia Simkins during a non-district game Dec. 13 at the Snake Pit. Lafferty scored 26 points, including seven 3-pointers.
The Tucumcari girls basketball team notched two more wins last week, improving to 6-1 and landing in the top 10 of the Class 3A rankings.
The Lady Rattlers were ranked eighth in 3A in the Dec. 13 coaches poll, with Robertson - Tucumcari's only loss - in the top spot.
Tucumcari showed it could do fine without its head coach for a game. Patrick Benavidez was out sick, and the Lady Rattlers still cruised to a 55-23 non-district victory over East Mountain last Tuesday at the Snake Pit.
Alexus Lafferty scored a game-high 26 points, including seven 3-point shots, for Tucumcari. Caylee Benavidez added 13 points, and younger sister Cambree Benavidez totaled 12.
Tucumcari athletic director Wayne Ferguson, coaching his first basketball game in about 15 years, and assistant coach Kristina Contratto guided the Lady Rattlers as they surged to a 10-0 lead and led by 20 by intermission over the winless Timberwolves.
"I didn't tell them a whole lot," Ferguson said of the Lady Rattlers. "I just told them I was here to manage the game and tell them if I saw things we needed to change. I don't know what they were doing in practice, and I didn't do much except tell them when to press (on defense) and not to press."
East Mountain's roster was stacked with tall players, making it difficult for Tucumcari to establish any sort of inside game.
"The girls stood around too much and didn't cut (to the basket)," Ferguson said. "When they're playing a zone like that, you have to pass the ball more to make them move instead of dribbling. It's something they'll have to work on."
Fortunately for the Lady Rattlers, the Timberwolves also lacked speed and ball-handling skills. Tucumcari's defense repeatedly forced turnovers.
Lafferty's mobility helped spring her open for long-range shots. She scored 20 points in the first half to help stake her team to a 29-9 lead.
Lafferty probably would have scored 30 or more, except she suffered leg cramps in the third quarter. She played sparingly after that, but not before sinking her seventh trey.
With the Timberwolves tiring, the Benavidez sisters combined for 16 points in the second half - many in transition - to open a bigger lead for the Lady Rattlers.
East Mountain fell to 0-7.
Tucumcari 41, Raton 23
The Lady Rattlers turned in a workmanlike performance during a 41-23 non-district victory at Raton last Monday.
Tucumcari led 19-10 at intermission and outscored the Tigers in every quarter.
Caylee Benavidez led the Lady Rattlers with nine points, and teammates Alexus Lafferty and Kyla Lopez each scored eight.
"We were still a little banged up from the Robertson game, so we did what we needed to do to come out of there with a win," coach Benavidez said. "I was able to rest a few players to get ready for (Tuesday) night's game.
"Now we have a much-needed week off to play Logan and then Raton a week later in the first game of our tournament."
Raton fell to 3-4.