Heartbreak and Progress: Lady Timberwolves Narrowly Fall to Ranked Tucumcari

SANDIA PARK — The result in the scorebook will read as a loss, but for an East Mountain girls basketball program chasing its first-ever winning season, Tuesday night’s performance against one of the state’s best teams looked a lot like a turning point.

Facing the No. 5 ranked team in Class 2A, the Lady Timberwolves overcame a rough start and held a fourth-quarter lead before injuries and late free throws allowed the Tucumcari Lady Rattlers to escape with a 38-36 victory at the Vista Grande Community Center.

East Mountain (3-5) stumbled out of the gate, falling into a 10-2 hole in the first quarter. However, showing resilience that has become a hallmark under head coach Ron Drake—New Mexico’s all-time winningest girls basketball coach—the Timberwolves chipped away at the deficit.

By halftime, East Mountain had cut the Tucumcari lead to 18-15. With 6:46 remaining in the third quarter, the Timberwolves surged ahead 20-19, eventually building a 30-24 lead that had the upset alert sirens blaring.

“I don’t think [we thought we couldn’t win],” Drake said. “We had a six-point lead right on the number five team in the state going into the fourth quarter.”

However, the game’s momentum shifted in the final minute due to attrition. The Timberwolves lost both Genesis Navarro-Chavez and standout freshman Kate Hushman to injuries in the closing moments. The loss of Hushman, who went down while in tussle on the floor the basketball, was particularly damaging to East Mountain’s ability to close out the game.

With the score tied at 36-36, Tucumcari hit a crucial foul shot to take the lead, and East Mountain—missing two key rotation players—couldn’t find the final bucket.

“When those two girls got hurt… they’re key players, specifically Kate on the rebounds,” Drake said. “It’s hard when you lose a starter like we did with 25 seconds to go… Kate could have gone in there, she drives hard, and Gen can shoot from the outside.”

Despite the loss, the performance was arguably the best of the season for East Mountain. Evelyn Kannolt led the offensive attack with a game-high 14 points. Hushman added 9 points before her injury, while Maya Cheney contributed 6 and Emee Naylor scored 5.

Drake, who is working to teach a young roster how to win, viewed the night as a significant step forward for the program.

“It’s great to win. But to me, this was a winning situation,” Drake said regarding the team’s intensity and progress. “I’m not disappointed. This team is really progressing. We haven’t been blown out in any game yet. I think they’re doing a good job.”

The Timberwolves’ defense was particularly effective, holding a high-scoring Tucumcari squad to just 38 points. While Drake acknowledged that missed layups and turnovers played a role in the defeat, he remained optimistic about his young squad, which features a sophomore point guard and impactful freshmen.

“They’re young. They’ll learn. They’re getting there,” Drake said.

Scoring Summary East Mountain: Evelyn Kannolt 14, Kate Hushman 9, Maya Cheney 6, Emee Naylor 5, Genesis Navarro-Chavez 2, Elizabeth Thomas 2.