By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
The Lady Tigers scored first and extended the lead against the Cimarron Lady Rams only to see it slip away late in the game Friday evening, January 22nd in Tiger Gym.
The game was also a Cowbell game as Cimarron currently has the bell. The Lady Tigers struck first and but never really took a commanding lead as the very tall Mariah Vanderlei blocked shots and easily scored buckets over the shorter Lady Tigers. It was a close game as the halftime buzzer sounded but the third quarter saw the Lady Tigers struggle to not only maintain possession of the ball and score but to keep Cimarron from scoring. At the end of the third however Cimarron out scored the Lady Tigers and took the lead 32-19.
Fourth quarter action saw the Lady Tigers strike back and tie the ball game late in the quarter and with about a minute left on the clock were in a position to take the lead as Natasha Ortega sunk a couple of key free throws to tie the game. Cimarron however tightened their defense and stole the ball keeping Raton from scoring and finally with the help of a couple of free throws and a ate basket, Raton took the nail-biting win 44-42. This game could have easily gone either way had the girls been hitting their free throws, both teams fell well short of 50% completion rate at the line.
Cimarron 9 11 12 12 44
Raton 12 12 5 13 42
Cimarron High Point
Angel Gonzales 13 6 of 14 free throws
Reina Argüello 14 2 of 3 free throws
Free Throws 10 of 24 attempts
Raton High Point
Andie Ortega 12 2 of 2 free throws
Estrella Vargas 10 2 of 3 free throws
Free throws 6 of 16 attempts
The JV boys took to the court first Friday afternoon and knew what to expect from Cimarron as this was the JV boys second meeting of the season.
The defense kept this a low scoring game and it was a slow start as Cimarron took the early lead and allowed only one Raton point in the first quarter. Both teams played a good defensive game with blocks and steals on both sides of the ball. By halftime Raton led the game by only two points 10-8.
Second half action remained a low scoring affair as Cimarron finally managed to post a double digit quarter in the fourth. Raton however kept the game close and at the final buzzer Cimarron took home the win 27-23.
Cimarron 4 4 8 11 27
Raton 1 9 7 6 23
The varsity boys game had Raton doubling the Cimarron score in the first quarter by playing a stronger defensive game and working the ball inside for several in-the-paint baskets. The fans saw Raton settle down and play a brand of ball not seen from this team this season. The boys worked the ball and worked it inside if that didn’t work the boys pushed the ball back out usually to one of the tall boys Austin Jones or Jonathan Cabrieles for a shot from just inside the free throw line. As the game wore on the Rams defense picked up in the second quarter and held Raton to only seven points and 26-15 lead.
Second quarter action saw more of the same style of play however in the fourth quarter Cimarron sparked a small fire and outscored Raton by five. While it was too little too late for Cimarron, Raton couldn’t rest as the Rams closed the gap. It was near the end of the fourth when Cimarron came alive but Raton managed to keep them at bay till the final buzzer sounded.
Free throws were hard to come by for both teams as Raton made 57% from the line Friday night while Cimarron posted a 56% from the line. Boys Coach Jose Archuleta and Girls Coach Victor Esparza have noted numerous times in conversations with KRTN about the free throws made in a game and if its a close one how that could have turned the game one way or another. While the Raton boys did better Friday night than they have in the past as district play begins both coaches know that part of the game will need to improve. As coach Esparza has noted in the past Raton is a young team and he is seeing improvement each week but that improvement needs to become consistent for the girls as district play starts this week.
Cimarron 8 7 7 22 44
Raton 19 7 15 17 58
Cimarron High Point
Thomas Jeffers 20 5 of 7 free throws
Free throws 9 of 16 attempts
Raton High Point
Jonathan Cabrieles 22 7 of 9 free throws
Austin Jones 18 5 of 8 free throws
Free Throws 11 of 20 free throws
