Cavegirls Host Wildcats in District Inaugural

By Don Eskins

The Cavegirl basketball team will begin their quest for a 2024-25 District 4/5A championship in Carlsbad on Tuesday, January 28, against the Clovis Wildcats.

Packed with some of New Mexico’s top-ranked teams, claiming this year’s District 4/5A title won’t be an easy ride for any member of the conference.

No doubt, the Hobbs Eagles will enter this year’s race as the top pick to capture the district crown. The Eagles are 18-1 and the top-ranked team in New Mexico at all levels. The Clovis Wildcats, 16-3 on the year, are ranked eighth, the Roswell Coyotes, 13-6, 12th, and the Cavegirls, 15-5, 13th.

The Cavegirls’ hopes for reeling in this year’s conference title will ride on their defense. So far this year, they’ve been yielding an average of just 35 points per outing.

“We work hard on defense all year. It’s our equalizer,” said Cavegirl head coach Matt Enloe. “If we can keep our opponents’ score down, we feel like we’re always in the ballgame.

“Offensively, we’ve struggled at times. Although we have kids who can score, sometimes this year, we’ve struggled getting the ball to fall in for us,” said Enloe. “If our shooting is on, we can be a really good team. If we’re off, then we’re very average.”

But the Cavegirls have posted a 15-5 record this year, and they’re ready to play.

“We are ready. Our kids have put in the time and the work we’ve needed to get to this point of the year,” he said. “Now, we just have to go out, hope the ball falls for us, and play.”

The JVs will open play at 4 p.m., followed by the varsity at 5:30 p.m.

Cavegirls 47, Wildcats 42

Trailing 11-2 after first-quarter play, the Cavegirls woke up to outscore the Lovington Wildcats 45-31 over the final three frames to down the Cats 47-42. Abbey Dugan, with 18 points, and Jasmynn Gonzales, with 10, paced the CHS effort. The victory lifted CHS’s record up to 15-5.

On the night, the Cavegirls sank five threes. Maci Garcia connected on two, while Thalia Payanes, Dugan, and Gonzales each sank one.

Free throws played a key role in the Cavegirl win. CHS made good on 14 of 19 charity tosses, a percentage rate of 73.6. Abbey Dugan, nearly perfect at the line, dropped in nine of 10 attempts.

CHS 02-14-12-19--47

LHS 11-11-12-08--42

Scoring: Hayden Brose 5, Thalia Payanes 3, Abbey Dugan 18, Maci Garcia 6, Serenity Madrano 2, Jasmynn Gonzales 10, Becca Brown 3. FT’s 14-19-73.6%. (CHS Stats)

Cavegirls 28, Bulldawgs 27

The Cavegirl basketball team, tied with the Las Cruces Bulldawgs 16-16 at the half, put up 12 points during third- and fourth-quarter action, while holding Las Cruces to 11, to edge the Lady Dawgs 28-27 in Las Cruces on Saturday, January 18.

Abbey Dugan, with 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Becca Brown, with seven points, three rebounds, and two blocks, paced the Cavegirl effort.

CHS 06-10-06-06--28

LCHS 06-10-05-06--27

Game Stats: Hayden Brose 0pts-1R-2A-1 Stl; Cameron Zumbrun 0pts-1R; Abbey Dugan 17pts-14R-1A-3 Stls; Maci Garcia 0pts-1R-2 Stls; Faith Kluesner 1R; Serenity Madrano 1R; Jasmynn Gonzales 4pts-8R-1A-1 Stl; Becca Brown 7pts-3R-1A-2B-1 Stl: 2pt FG’s 9-23-39.1%; 3pt FG’s 2-12-16.7%; FT’s 4-11-36.4%. (Hudl Digital Stats)

Cavegirls 25, Trojans 31

CHS led the Mayfield Trojans 15-13 at the half-time break in Las Cruces on Friday, January 17. But, unable to size up the bucket in the second, the Cavegirls scored just 10 points over the final two periods and fell to the Class 5A third-ranked Mayfield Trojans 31-25.

Jasmynn Gonzales and Abbey Dugan, each with 10 points, led all Cavegirl scorers.

CHS 11-04-05-05--25

MHS 10-03-08-10--31

Game Stats: H. Brose 1pt-1R-1A-1 Stl; C. Zumbrun 1R-1 Stl; T. Payanes 1R; A. Dugan 10pts-6R-2 Stls; M. Garcia 4R-1 Stl; F. Kluesner 1R-1 Stl; J. Gonzales 10pts-3A; B. Brown 4pts-4R-4A: 2pt. FG’s 5-17-29.4%; 3pt. FG’s 3-10-30%; FT’s 6-10-60%. (Hudl Digital Stats)