Tigers defeat Rams in round of 16

TAOS – Portales High’s boys got off to a good start, but they couldn’t sustain the momentum.

PHS held early leads of 5-0 and 8-6, but seventh-seeded Taos outscored the Rams 13-2 over the final few minutes of the first quarter and pulled away to a 63-44 victory on Saturday night in a first-round Class 4A boys state tournament game.

The win lifted the Tigers (18-10) into a 6:30 p.m. quarterfinal tilt today at The Pit in Albuquerque against second-seeded Highland (21-7), which routed Pojoaque 84-41 in its tourney opener.

Trailing 36-21 at halftime, the Rams (17-12) were never able to mount a serious charge over the final two stanzas as the Tigers extended their winning streak to six games.

“It was one of those nights where we missed some shots we normally make,” Rams coach Randy McBroom said. “We kind of dug ourselves an early hole. It was disappointing, but the shots just didn’t fall tonight.”

Sophomore guard Paxton Culpepper and junior guard Zane Mayberry hit early 3-pointers to help kickstart the Rams, but Taos took advantage of its size with 6-foot-8 senior post Deamon Ely and 6-5 senior forward Xavier Duke to keep control after the early going.

“You’ve got to tip your hat to them,” McBroom said of the Tigers. “But I’m very proud of this team.”

Taos had the better of it, both inside and outside. Ely finished with 18 points and Duke added 10, while junior guard Noah Washington had four of the team’s eight 3-pointers and finished with 13 points and senior forward Isaiah Apodaca knocked down two treys and had 11 points.

Meantime, the Tigers held PHS to its third-lowest point total of the season. Only senior guard Davian Lucero, with two 3s and 13 points, reached double digits for the Rams.

Lucero also led Portales in rebounding in the contest with eight, while senior guard Xodus Gomez grabbed five.

All in all, McBroom said, the Rams enjoyed a productive campaign.

“Our kids had a great season,” he said. “I appreciate these seniors (Lucero, Gomez and forward Markus Aranda) who helped get us to the next level. They went hard every single day.”