Rams pull out 59-56 win at Goddard

ROSWELL — It’s probably a little to late to help get them into the Class 4A state tournament, but Portales High’s boys pulled off a nice District 4-4A road win on Friday night.

Junior Greydon Rigsby scored 17 points and senior Chanden Neese added 10 as the Rams earned their first district with a 59-56 triumph over Roswell Goddard.

Portales, down by seven points early, led 34-29 at halftime and stretched that 10 with the first five points of the third period. Goddard made a couple of runs, and pulled to 53-52 on a 3-pointer by junior James Torrez late, but the Rams (2-5, 1-3 district) held on with the help of some free throws.

“Our kids battled,” PHS boys coach Rickie McBroom said. “This was one of our better-executed games of the season.”

Junior Noah Reese, who scored 22 points in Goddard’s earlier win at the RAC, managed 17 in this one. McBroom noted, though, that he got most of his points from the free throw line (10-of-15).

“We did a good job of containing him,” McBroom said. “I know he got 17, but they were a ‘quiet’ 17.”

Torrez also reached double digits for the Rockets (3-7, 2-2 with 10 points, but the setback all but ended their chances of making the state meet.

Portales closes the season this week with home games against Artesia on Tuesday and Lovington on Friday.

Lovington 66, Portales 50 (Tuesday) — At Lovington, the Wildcats pulled away by outscoring PHS 22-8 in the final period after the Rams closed a nine-point halftime margin to two.

“Overall, we competed well from the beginning,” McBroom said. “I felt our kids played much better from beginning to end (than in recent games).”

Lovington, coming off a victory over Class 5A Clovis three days earlier, continued to shoot the ball well from the perimeter. The Wildcats, who made nine 3-pointers in beating CHS, converted 10 in this one, including five from junior Isaiah Hinson, who finished with a team-high 17 points.

Lovington (3-5, 1-3), which lost at Artesia 58-56 on Friday night, took control against the Rams with a 10-0 run in the second quarter to open a 29-19 lead.

Three others reached double figures for Lovington — junior Tayten Hilliard with 16 and seniors Cobe Sandoval and Jared Jeffery with 14 apiece. Sandoval had three 3s, while Jeffrey netted the other two.

For the Rams, senior Kenevan Bailey had 16 points and senior Josiah Tellez added 11.