Basketball Recap: Tucumcari Comes Up Short

Tucumcari has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They were a single point away from ending the streak, but they lost a 56-55 heartbreaker at the hands of the Pecos Panthers. The Rattlers were probably out for revenge after losing 54-40 to them when the teams met back in February of 2022, then they'll just have to keep looking.

Several Rattlers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Caylee Benavidez, who posted 17 points. Benavidez has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last 11 times she's played. Kyla Lopez was another key player, dropping a double-double on 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Rattlers

Previous 2 Games

01/23/25 @ Pecos	55-56
01/17/25 vs Goddard	61-63

Even though they lost, Tucumcari smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 43 consecutive games dating back to last season.

It was another big night for Natalia Stout, who shot 4-for-5 from downtown and dropped a double-double on 25 points and ten boards for Pecos. The team also got some help courtesy of Analiyah Armijo, who earned seven points.

Tucumcari's defeat dropped their record down to 11-5. As for Pecos, they are on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine matches, which provided a nice bump to their 12-5 record this season.

Tucumcari has already played their next contest, a 63-39 victory against Santa Rosa on the 25th. As for Pecos, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 56-8 win against Raton on the 25th.