Lady 'Cats cruise into title game

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Even Clovis High girls coach Jeff Reed is ready for a bit of a challenge.

The Lady Wildcats certainly didn’t get that in two games on Friday in the Plateau Holiday Classic at The Rock, blowing out Amarillo Caprock 67-22 before overwhelming Sandia 63-9 and holding the Matadors to just one field goal in 25 attempts.

link CMI staff photo: Tony Bullocks

Clovis junior Danni Williams glides pass Sandia sophomore Emily Conway for a lay up in the first half of Friday night’s game of the Plateau Holiday Classic at Rock Staubus gym.

The defending Class 5A state champion Lady Wildcats could get a test in today’s 5:30 p.m. championship against two-time defending Class 3A champion Lovington, although the Lady Cats already own a 67-44 win earlier this year at Lovington.

Junior guard Danni Williams scored 48 points in the two games, including 23 against Sandia, as Reed rested his starters for long stretches. Senior guard Brandi Gomez added 18 points against the Matadors (2-5).

“At least we should be pushed a little bit tomorrow,” Reed said. “Hopefully, if we are, we can work on some things and get out of some of the bad habits we get into in these type of games.”

Clovis (11-0) ran off its second lengthy streak of the day, scoring 28 consecutive points after leading just 3-1 nearly three minutes into the opening period.

Lovington defeated Sandia 49-29 and Gallup 58-48 in its two games on Friday.

“I hope we come out and play good against Lovington,” Reed said. “Lovington has a lot of pride; they’re not going to lay down for us.”

Senior point guard Rene Aragon was Sandia’s leading scorer with four points, going 4-for-4 from the free throw line. The rest of the team, though, was just 3-for-15.

Sandia’s only basket came on a driving bank shot by junior guard Janeisha Brown with 2:42 left in the third quarter, ending an 0-for-19 drought from the field for the Matadors and making it 45-6.

Clovis 67, Caprock 22 — The Lady Cats started a bit slow, then blew out the Lady Longhorns with a 27-0 run which turned a one-point game midway through the first period into a 32-4 rout.

link CMI staff photo: Tony Bullocks

Clovis junior Nichelle Hyman battles a Sandia player for a offensive rebound in the first half of Friday night’s game at Rock Staubus Gym.

Williams poured in 25 points, 20 coming before halftime, while Gomez added 10.

Junior post Shelby Jones, who sustained injuries in a car accident last week, added seven points and a team-high eight rebounds, but admitted it can be hard to stay focused in games like that.

“That’s the hard part about these games,” Jones said. “You’re not really challenged and you can get lazy.”

Reed said he expected the Lady Cats to eventually get going.

“I knew there’d probably be a big run,” he said. “I had to be patient as a coach and just let it happen.

“We’ve just got to keep working to keep our edge for (fellow Class 5A powers) La Cueva and Valley, who are coming up pretty quickly.”

The Lady Longhorns (7-8) were led by 10 points from senior guard Justice Reyes, but they committed 25 turnovers and shot just 20 percent (8-of-40).