Basketball Game Preview: Portales Rams vs. Lovington Wildcats

Portales hasn't had much luck against Lovington recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Portales Rams will host the Lovington Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.

Portales managed to keep up with Artesia until halftime on Tuesday, but things quickly went downhill from there. Portales came up short against Artesia, falling 74-48. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Rams have suffered since January 2nd.

Meanwhile, Lovington came up short against Goddard on Tuesday and fell 59-49. The Wildcats have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Portales will have to contain Kayle Covington as he made an impact in Lovington's last game. He dropped a double-double on 22 points and 16 boards. The contest was Covington's fifth in a row with at least ten points. Mika Pando was another key player, putting up eight points and five steals.

Even though they lost, Lovington smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in five consecutive games.

Lovington's loss dropped their record down to 13-9. As for Portales, their defeat ended a five-game streak of away wins and brought them to 11-10.

Portales came up short against Lovington in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, falling 70-61. Will Portales have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.