NMMI Sports Press

The Colt Basketball team evened their district record at 1-1 Thursday night at Cahoon Armory with a 37-35 victory over the visiting Tucumcari Rattlers.

The Institute had a rough night from the field, especially in the first half where they shot 21 percent, but an 8-of-11 performance from the charity stripe proved to be the difference in a tight game.

Sophomore shooting guard Diego Martinez led the Colts with 12 points, shooting 3-of-7 from the field, 2-for-4 from long range and made all four of his free-throw attempts. Senior point guard Emi Herrera and sophomore guard Jake Hayes each added six points and made huge plays down the stretch to ensure the win.

The Colts hit the court hot, building a 10-point lead in the first couple minutes that featured four made free throws and two 3s. But the Rattlers would battle back and cut the lead to 13-8 after one period of play.

The Colts came out attacking in the second period, with Diego Martinez getting to the line and making two freebies to push the lead back to seven. NMMI maintained that lead until the final minute of the half when the Rattlers took advantage of a Colt turnover and a couple missed shots to pull within two points at 21-19.

In the third period, the Rattlers tied the game three times and took a one-point lead late in the quarter, but Diego Martinez immediately took it back on the assist from Herrera.

In the final period, NMMI fell into a four-point hole, the largest deficit of the night, but rectified the situation with a Herrera layup assisted by junior power forward Matt McCargish and a putback from sophomore center Torty Kalu-Ulu.

Hayes took the lead back for the Colts with jumper, but Tucumcari’s Karmen Apodaca returned the favor, knotting the score at 35 apiece with three minutes left in the game.

After the tie, Herrera turned the ball over twice and was called for a foul, but he’d have his chance at redemption very soon.

The Rattlers turned the ball over on a traveling call, and on the other end, Hayes dribbled from the right wing to the free-throw line, pulled up and sunk the go-ahead basket.

The Colts committed multiple turnovers after taking the lead, but the Rattlers didn’t fare much better on their end of the court. With the final seconds ticking away, the Rattlers had the ball with a chance to win or tie the game, but Herrera made back-to-back blocks to preserve the victory and the Institute’s chances of making the state tournament.

After the game, NMMI head coach Connor Williamson said he was pleased to see his squad hold on at home in a game the Colts desperately needed to win.

“This was pretty much a must-win for us, so it feels good to get it done at home,” he said. “I’m proud. Some guys stepped up and did what they needed to do to help us. They share the ball well. They don’t care who gets the points and that’s beautiful to see.”

The Colts (6-8 overall, 1-1 district 4-3A) take the short trip southeast to Dexter, N.M. on Tuesday for a date with the Demons at 6:30 p.m.