Against their longtime district rivals in the unfriendly confines of Ground Zero in Roswell, the Bulldog basketball team left nothing in doubt Friday, closing out their unbeaten run through the first round of District 4-AAAA in dominant fashion, 69-26.
The boys in orange delivered the four complete quarters head coach Michael Mondragon and his staff were looking for against the Rockets, using stifling defense to hold Goddard to single-digit scoring in each period, committing just eight turnovers on the night, and setting the 35-point mercy-rule clock in motion midway through the third.
The Runnin’ ‘Dogs announced their presence with authority, powering their way to a 15-0 lead before the shell-shocked Rockets finally got on the board with 3:30 to go in the first. Artesia’s run included a trio of baskets in the paint from Clay Kincaid, an offensive putback and a jumper from Jarren Wadkins, and a bucket and an old-fashioned three-point play by Diego Wesson.
Wesson would log another and-one before quarter’s end, with Charlie Campbell adding a free-throw-line J and Rickey Armendariz two from the line to put Artesia up 22-7 heading into the second.
The Bulldogs kept the pedal firmly to the metal there, again opening with 17 unanswered points on a Kincaid and-one, a perimeter shot and a putback from Campbell, a breakaway layup from Wesson off the steal, treys from Wadkins and Nye Estrada, and two more free throws by Armendariz.
The Rockets managed just a three and a layup in the period, with Kincaid and Dedrik Bishop adding baskets in between to send Artesia into the locker room with a thoroughly commanding lead, 44-12.
Goddard was able to answer the ‘Dogs’ first few baskets of the third, but as the quarter fell under five minutes, a trio of consecutive baskets by Estrada, Wadkins and Armendariz put the mercy rule in effect, and the contest sped by from there.
Up 56-18 heading into the fourth, the Bulldogs were able to work their bench into the fray. They’d continue to limit the Rockets offensively, allowing just eight points, while adding 13 of their own to round out the 69-26 final. Bishop, Matthew Hafliger, Trent Egeland, Jack Byers and Zane Baize all got in the book in the final eight minutes, the latter with a trey.
With the win, the Runnin’ ‘Dogs improved to 13-8 overall, 3-0 in district play. That puts them in the driver’s seat going into Round Two, which they’ll open following a week’s break at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, in Lovington.
The Wildcats currently stand at 2-1 following a 63-53 win over Portales Friday, with the Rams in third at 1-2 and the Rockets in fourth at 0-3.
