Rattlers avenge earlier loss to Demons

The Tucumcari boys basketball team wasn’t going to let Dexter’s CJ Granados ruin its night again.

Granados, a freshman strong forward, almost single-handedly in the final minute of play led his team to a 67-66 comeback win over the Rattlers on Feb. 2.

On Friday at Rattler Gymnasium, Tucumcari coach Gary Hittson assigned junior forward Julian Griego to shadow Granados, who also drew a double-team defense near the paint.

“We changed up our defense just because of No. 10,” Hittson said. “Julian played a heck of a defensive ballgame on him. Once he tried to attack one of the gaps, we had two guys on him. He scored somewhat near the end, but he was frustrated.”

Granados finished with 16 points, but he scored only two in the first half when the Rattlers staked a 25-18 lead en route to a 63-45 district victory.

Meanwhile, two of the Rattlers’ big guys — center Kamren Apodaca and strong forward Jordan Rincones — ruled the paint. Apodaca finished with a game-high 22 points and 18 rebounds. Rincones added 12 points and 13 rebounds. Tucumcari totaled 42 rebounds during the game.

Luis Archuleta added to the Demons’ woes with slashing moves to the basket for 19 points.

The Rattlers surged to as much as a 15-point lead in the third quarter. The Demons rallied to within 44-36 early in the fourth quarter.

Tucumcari dashed whatever hopes remained for Dexter with a 15-2 run, with many points scored in transition.

“That’s what we want to do — transition, transition, transition — because we’re so fast,” Hittson said. “Sometimes we’re too fast for ourselves and turn the ball over. But we had only 10 turnovers tonight.”

The rally also largely silenced a raucous Dexter student section and sent the Tucumcari side into ecstasy.

Dexter coach Adam Herrera said a defensive adjustment he made backfired.

“We started pressing; we kind of had to because we were behind,” he said. “But they got us there, especially in the fourth quarter.”

Tucumcari improved to 8-12 overall and 2-2 in district play, which tied for second in the standings with New Mexico Military Institute. NMMI defeated district front-runner Ruidoso 51-46 on Friday.

The Rattlers face both teams this week — NMMI (12-10, 2-2) on the road Tuesday and at home against Ruidoso (12-11, 3-1) on Friday. Wins over both would put Tucumcari in a first-place tie.

Dexter fell to 9-15, 1-3.

Before the game, Tucumcari honored senior wrestler Sarah Vallejo and her parents. The school held its Senior Night the previous Friday, but Vallejo couldn’t attend because she was competing in the Region 2 girls championships. Vallejo qualified for this week’s state tournament.

Ruidoso 62, Tucumcari 37

Trailing by just seven points at halftime, the visiting Rattlers found its hopes for a comeback win dashed when the Warriors outscored them 38-20 in the second half during a 62-37 district loss on Feb. 13.

Daymion Urioste was the only Tucumcari player in double figures in scoring, with 13 points. Rincones grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Rattlers went a miserable 2-for-14 from behind the 3-point arc. Meanwhile, the Warriors went 9-for-18 on 3-point attempts.

“The first half, it was a ballgame,” Hittson said. “But in the second half, I don’t know what happened. I don’t know whether it was the altitude or what. We just went flat.”

Hittson said he put his second-stringers into the game late, who repeatedly fouled the Warriors and put them on the free throw line. That enabled Ruidoso to fatten its lead more.

Logan Sandoval scored a game-high 29 points, including six 3-pointers, for Ruidoso, the defending district champion. He added six rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocked shots.