Texico sweeps Tucumcari

The Tucumcari boys basketball team knew it faced a tough matchup in its first District 2 Class 2A game against the second ranked Texico Wolverines.

The Rattlers gave Texico a fight but fell 71-49 on Saturday night at the Snake Pit.

The Wolverines (17-1, 1-0) were able to use their size against the Rattlers. Luke Walthers, who had 17 points, and Seth Bailey, who had a game-high 26, were able to get easy looks at the basket throughout the game.

“Size is always a problem for us,” Tucumcari senior Alex Hutchins, who led the Rattlers with 16 points, said. “They were very aggressive under the basket and Bailey can really shoot lights out.”

Texico pressed the Rattlers (6-12, 0-1) from the start of the game and were able to jump out to a 12-4 lead in the first quarter.

“Our press worked sometimes,” Texico coach Richard Luscombe said. “We wanted to stop their quickness in the backcourt.”

The Rattlers were only down eight after one quarter and pulled within six a couple times during the second. The Rattlers missed a layups and gave up easy baskets to the Wolverines.

“If we could have made some layups the game could have been closer,” Tucumcari coach John Span said.

During the second quarter while the game was still close, Luscombe received a technical foul called on him. The call seemed to fire up the Wolverines.

“I think it fired them up a little bit,” Luscombe said. “They haven’t seen one of those because I haven’t got one in awhile.”

The Rattlers had two other players in double figures as Jakus Martinez chipped in 12 points and Travis Garcia had 11.

The Lady Rattlers struggled with the size of the Lady Wolverines front line in Texico’s 69-40 win on Saturday night at the Snake Pit.

The no. 2-ranked Lady Wolverines (14-5, 1-0 District 6-2A) were able to get easy looks inside and grab rebounds over the shorter Lady Rattlers (9-6, 0-1).

“Its tough when the other team sends 5-foot-11 and 5-foot-10 (girls) out here,” Tucumcari coach Gary Hittson said.

Texico’s Jaylyn Cooper did the most damage inside with 11 points. Katlin Luscombe and Shannon Van Marte also scored in double figures for the Lady Wolverines with 16 and 13 respectively. The Lady Wolverines scored the first 12 points of the game.

“Texico basketball is about rebounding and playing defense,” Coach Keith Durham said. “We were able to do that tonight.”

The Lady Rattlers tried to stay in the game behind Laura Fought, who had 11 points, Chana Lovato, who had 10, and Michelle Fazekas, who also had 10.

“I was proud of how the girls played against a tough team,” Hittson said. “We getting looks but they just didn’t fall.”

Both coaches said the lack of practice the last two days because of the weather hurt their teams at times.

“We haven’t practiced for two days,” Durham said. “It didn’t hurt us in the beginning but it started to show as the game went on.”

Every Lady Wolverine scored at least two points in the victory.