Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Sarah Lovato of the Lady Rams scores from the baseline during Tuesday's matchup with Moriarty.
PORTALES - Slow starts to begin each half spelled bad news for the Portales girls basketball team on Tuesday night, with the Lady Rams falling to Moriarty 38-30 in a District 4-4A game at the Ram Athletic Center.
While Portales played solidly on the defensive end for the most part, the Lady Rams (13-8, 2-2 district) struggled to put the ball in the basket on offense.
"We didn't convert some easy things inside, like we normally do, and free throws," Lady Rams coach Wade Fraze said. "I feel like the difference in the game really was little things."
The Lady Rams rallied in the second quarter for a 17-13 lead heading into halftime, but the Lady Pintos (14-6, 2-3) held PHS to just four points in the third period to take the lead back.
Portales was led by Zamorye Cox with nine points and Taylee Rippee with eight. Lindsay Blakey led the effort on the glass with 11 rebounds.
Portales outrebounded the Lady Pintos 36-27, grabbing 22 offensive caroms. The second, and sometimes third, chances did little, though, with the Lady Rams having a tough time finishing in the paint.
The loss means the Lady Rams are still in second place in the district standings, but it makes it more difficult to catch district-leading Hope Christian. Fraze said his team isn't looking that far ahead.
"We are just looking at the next step," he said. "That's Ruidoso on Friday, and that's what we're looking at now."
Friday's matchup at Ruidoso is set to begin at 5:30 p.m.
Portales 64, Moriarty 43 (boys) - Jeremy Karngbaye scored 20 points and Jase Wallace had five of the Rams' 10 3-pointers and finished with 19 points as the Rams outscored the Pintos 16-8 in the second quarter to build a 10-point halftime lead.
Wallace didn't score in the first quarter, but had two 3-pointers in both the second and third periods.
Karngbaye's four baskets in the first period gave the Rams (18-3, 4-1 district) a 14-12 lead.
Matt Socot had 17 points for the Pintos (11-13, 2-4), including 11 of the team's 14 in the third period. Marvin Encinias also reached double digits for Moriarty with 10 points.
