Rattlers split with Bosque

The Tucumcari Rattlers boys basketball team were unable to keep up with the No. 2-ranked Bosque Bobcats (14-3) in the Rattlers’ 59-44 loss Friday at the Snake Pit.

Tucumcari (3-10) trailed by only seven after one quarter but only scored five points in the he second and were behind 30-16 at halftime.

“We weren’t getting the point guard the ball,” Tucumcari coach John Span said. “We committed a lot of costly turnovers.”

The Rattlers, who are undersized to begin with, were missing their post presence in Alex Hutchins. Hutchins hurt his ankle in Monday’s game loss to Portales. The Bobcats were able to expose Tucumcari’s lack of size by getting to the basket and finishing around the rim.

“They really know how to finish at the basket,” Span said.

The Rattlers were able to get within six in the third quarter. A 13-3 run led by Dalton Wood, who finished with a team high 14, got Tucumcari back in the game. The Rattlers were unable to get any closer.

“We got tired,” Tucumcari’s Travis Garcia said. “We needed to push the ball more.”

Myles Coven was able to take advantage of his 6-foot-4 size in the paint and scored 13 points, 10 of those came in the second quarter. Max Diefenthaler had a game high 15 for Bosque.

“We just have no big people,” Garcia, who chipped in with eight points, said.

Jantzen Darnell was the only other Rattler in double figures with 12 points.

“The guys played hard,” Span said. “With our lack of size we have to go out there and out work people.”

Girls

The Tucumcari Lady Rattlers won big 41-18 Friday night at the Snake Pit against the Bosque Lady Bobcats.

“It was an ugly win but we will take it,” said Lady Rattlers head coach Gary Hittson.

In the last quarter, coach Hittson knew his team had a win. He said he used the time on the court to try and work out the problem he had seen throughout the game.

“We did not rebound,” Hittson said. “We gave them to many second shot opportunities in the second half.”

Hittson said the team needed to work on making good passes and not committing stupid fouls.

“We kept sending them to the line with a chance to get back in it,” Hittson said.

The Lady Rattlers offense was led by Laura Fought and Elizabeth Smith each with 11 points. Fought led the Rattlers in the first half with three points and Smith led the second half with 11 points.

The Lady Rattlers victory could have been by a much larger margin as they only made 14-of-50 shots from inside the paint.

“We are to timid when we try to take the ball down the lane and score,” said Lady Rattler Mariah Meier. “We need to be aggressive and go up strong for the shot.”

Free throws were a factor for both teams with the Lady Rattler going 4-15 and Lady Bobcats going 2-11 from the line.

“We keep pushing the ball and not shooting it,” Meier said. “We need to follow through and follow our ball in if we miss.”

As the game began, many of the fans and Lady Rattlers focused their attention on Lady Bobcats’ center 6-foot Sophia Deichman.

“The girls did a great job of taking her out of the game,” Hittson said. “They kept her from setting up under the goal and forced them to take the ball outside and look for another outlet.”

The Rattler nest game is at 5:30 p.m. Saturday against the Fort Sumner Foxes/ Lady Vixens.