Lady Cats face rematch with Gallup

Clovis High’s girls nearly beat Gallup in the Lady Bengals’ pit this season, only to come up short.

They get another chance today, on a neutral court — at least technically.

The Lady Wildcats, winners of 11 in a row and seeded fifth at 23-4, take on fourth-seeded Gallup (23-5) in a Class 5A state quarterfinal matchup at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho.

Gallup rallied from a 10-point deficit late in the first half for a 70-66 win over the Lady Cats in the Gallup Invitational on Dec. 5. Coach Jeff Reed, though, is optimistic in the rematch even though his team is sure to have to deal with the large, loud Gallup following.

“They’ll definitely have the crowd behind them, but at least it’s a neutral court,” said Reed, noting that the Lady Cats went 10-for-14 from the line in December to Gallup’s 26-of-33. The Lady Bengals also had a 6-2 edge in 3-point field goals.

Clovis lost standouts Antiesha Brown, who had 35 points in that game, and Ashlee Pierson to fouls down the stretch.

The teams present similar styles, but Reed said it could be tougher for Gallup to shoot 3-pointers with the open backgrounds of the Star Center.

“If we’re patient in attacking them, I think we can get a lot of shots in the paint,” he said. “We’ll have to block out, though, because they really crash the boards.

“One of the good things is they don’t have a big post (player). They’re quick and fast and like to run and press, and we’re quick and fast and like to run and press.”

The winner gets either top-seeded Eldorado (27-1) or two-time defending 5A champion La Cueva (20-10) in a 1:15 p.m. semifinal on Thursday.

Reed said he wouldn’t be shocked by a La Cueva upset, but acknowledged Eldorado goes in as the tourney favorite because “they’ve proven themselves over and over this year.”

In Class 2A, Texico is the top seed and the Lady Wolverines (23-5), champions in 2007 and 2008, hope to return to the top spot after losing in the semifinals last year.

Despite a modest 12-10 record, first-round opponent Pecos is no slouch, Texico coach Keith Durham said of today’s 6:30 p.m. matchup at the Star Center.

He said the Lady Panthers regained the services at the semester of point guard Brianna Gallegos, who had been academically ineligible.

Pecos beat Rehoboth 54-50 in a first-round game and has won six of its last seven.

“For them to beat Rehoboth, I think they’ve got to be a pretty quality team,” Durham said.

“I think our girls understand it doesn’t matter where you’re seeded. You have to win three games, and you’ve got to take control of the things you can control.”

Texico, which routed Capitan in the first round, brings a 16-game winning streak into the contest.

In Class 1A, the Grady Lady Bronchos (18-9) survived a scare to edge Cimarron 47-46 in the first round and face a stiff challenge in second-seeded Magdalena (27-0), one of two unbeatens in the division, in a 7:45 p.m. matchup at Bernalillo High School.

STATE CAPSULES
Class 5A
No. 5 Clovis (23-4) vs. No. 4 Gallup (23-5), 8:15 p.m. today Santa Anna Star Center, Rio Rancho
First round: Clovis defeated Rio Rancho Cleveland 57-42 for its 11th straight victory. Gallup is on a seven-game streak, and held off Manzano 53-50.
The Lady Bengals defeated Clovis 70-66 on Dec. 5 for the championship of the Gallup Invitational.
Gallup players to watch: Alanah Spencer, 5-7 Sr. F; Jeryn Wilson, 5-5, Sr. G.
What to expect: The quarterfinal matchup will be a question of whether Clovis can slow down Gallup’s running game. The Lady Bengals average 71 points per game in their 23 wins, but that drops to 52 points a game in their five losses.

Class 2A
No. 1 Texico (23-5) vs. No. 8 Pecos (12-10), 6:30 p.m. today at Santa Ana Star Center, Rio Rancho
First round: The Lady Wolverines, 2A state champions in 2007 and 2008, defeated Capitan 54-29. Texico has won 16 in a row, suffering its last defeat to Clovis 60-41 in the third-place game of the Plateau Holiday Classic. Pecos, coming off a 54-50 win over Rehoboth, has won four straight and six of its last seven.
Pecos players to watch: Geneva Rivera, 5-8 Sr. G; Brianna Gallegos, 5-8 Jr. G.

Class 1A
No. 7 Grady (18-9) vs. No. 2 Magdalena (27-0), 7:45 p.m. today at Bernalillo High School
First round: Grady has won 11 of its last 12 games, including a 47-46 nailbiter over Cimarron in the first round. The Lady Steers have played only one game decided by single digits, a 52-50 win over Gallup Catholic in the District 6-1A title game.
Magdalena players to watch: Jennifer Mati, 5-10 Sr. F; Karly Chavez, 5-6 Sr. G.

— Compiled by Kevin Wilson