Rams get ready for district slate

Staff writer

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The Portales Rams basketball teams will begin their district schedules on Friday against Ruidoso.

The Lady Rams (13-6) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 54-49 loss to Lovington on Tuesday, but were able to hold two straight practices for the first time in two weeks.

Coach Wade Fraze was happy his team could get the work in.

“We had a really good practice last night and we came in early this morning and had another practice, but we had two really good days,” Fraze said. “It’s been two weeks since we had a full practice; they’ve either been cut short or cancelled for weather, games and other things. So it was really nice to get out here and the girls were excited about a hard-nosed, grind-it-out, physical aggressive practice.”

For Fraze he gives the credit to his team for wanting to get back in the gym and work on the fundamentals.

“They make my job easier, those girls make me look good,” Fraze said “It’s all a credit to them because they have an incredible work ethic. They think of their teammates before themselves and they know what it takes to be successful and they’re eager to do that, not just willing to do it, but eager to do it as well.”

The Lady Rams have lost two of their last four games, but are the only team in District 4-4A with a record over .500.

Last year the Lady Rams beat Ruidoso twice last year, both by at least 20 points. Still, Fraze will not underestimate the Warriors (7-10).

“Well we played them last year and their center Lia Mosher is around 6-foot-4 and she affects things on both ends of the floor,” Fraze said. “She’s long-armed, she can get off the floor and somebody with that size for a girl really affects both ends of the floor. Also they just beat Artesia, a 5A school, so we have to be ready to play.”

The Portales Rams (8-9) come into their game against the Warriors having won four of their last five games. Rams coach Rickie McBroom is still hungry for more.

“We had a really good practice today,” McBroom said in a telephone interview. “The guys worked hard and we worked on some new things for the game.”

Despite their recent success against higher class teams, McBroom believes that his the district schedule can be a monster if your team isn’t prepared.

“In district you know each other so it makes it more difficult,” McBroom said. “This year could be different cause we have so many new players and because there’s three new coaches in the district, but the kids know each other well and for some reason we always get Ruidoso’s best game.”

McBroom believes his team is ready for the game and to extend their winning streak, but it won’t be easy.

Last year the Warriors and Rams split two games as the Rams won at home by four in their first match and the Warriors avenged the loss with a 15 point win at home two weeks later.

“They play a solid 1-2-2 zone and their kids don’t give up,” McBroom said. “Also they always matchup well against us and their always motivated to play against us, so we have to be ready to play all 32 minutes.”