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Wildcats top tourney host to face Hobbs
GALLUP — There was no argument that the Clovis Wildcats were limping into the Gallup Tournament this week, with three key players out — all of them for at least a few weeks — with injury.
Two games into the tournament, however, the Wildcats are outrunning or outlimping the competition as they reached Saturday’s tournament final with a 64-53 victory over the tournament host Bengals.
Clovis (10-4), which won Thursday’s opener 62-55 over Sandia Prep, put itself in position for Saturday’s 6 p.m. championship against Hobbs.
The Cats entered the tournament missing Dominick Urioste, Malik Phillips and Josiah Lombrana — Urioste for at least two weeks, and the other two indefinitely. But other Wildcats have so far picked up the slack.
Among the notables were guard Jacob Moon, who had a game-high 14 points against Sandia Prep and 12 against Gallup, and Ethan Gershon twice hitting a career-high eight points in increased minutes.
“We’ve got people having to step up,” Clovis coach Jaden Isler said after Thursday’s game against Sandia Prep. “We’re pretty deep at the guard spot, and all the guards have the same skill set. Tonight was a good night for Ethan because we used him as a guard and a post player. We can play with a smaller lineup using Ethan at the 4. He gives us a different dimension.”
Isler thought that while it was a struggle in the present, being forced to find different lineups would provide a benefit when the Wildcats are closer to full strength. For Thursday, it was a positive to see the Wildcats post the same final score against Sandia Prep as they did at their holiday tournament with a shorter bench and away from the friendly confines of Rock Staubus Gymnasium.
Against the Bengals, Ro Morgan had a game-high 13 points as Clovis put things away with a 20-13 third. Isler said that quarter wouldn’t have happened without the bench staying strong in a 12-13 second period.
“We played the entire quarter with just one lineup out there. I thought we did a good job just holding ground. Third quarter, we came out with some fresh legs. It was really a good job by our bench to be able to hold us that entire second quarter without being subbed out.”
Isler particularly credited Anthony Gutierrez with 12 points against Gallup.
Junior guard Dewayne Dawson had 14 to lead the Wildcats Thursday.