Going undefeated during a 30-game season is almost unrealistic for any high school basketball team. The last girls basketball team to go undefeated was the 2009 Pojoaque Elkettes who went 31-0 under Lanse Carter. Before that we have to go back to the 2005 season when Miles Waters led the Clovis Lady Wildcats to a 30-0 season.
Currently there are just three girls basketball teams which are undefeated as we head closer to the month of February. Gallup in Class 5A with a 18-0, Tularosa with a 18-0 record, and the Eunice Cardinals with a record of 17-0. We’ll feature both Gallup and Tularosa in the next week, today we caught up with Head Eunice Girls Basketball coach Jimmie Jones who is also the City of Eunice Chief of Police. You think you’re busy..
The Lady Cardinals are undefeated and have outscored their first 17 opponents by a score of 1,033 to 453. Their most impressive wins come against Lovington a team they beat 66-33 and they also beat Goddard recently 62-21.
“This is my fourth season coaching in Eunice and these seniors were my first group of freshmen. The four seniors are all leaders and great kids. They are led by 6-foot-0 Senior Clarissa Fite. Fite is averaging just under 17 ppg, over 9 rpg, and almost 5 blocks pg. She has 6 double/doubles and one triple double this season. We have gotten calls/emails from numerous colleges from the junior college ranks to D1 level to enquire about Clarissa,” said Coach Jones on his seniors as well as a rising star in Clarissa Fite.
While Eunice does have 5 seniors on the roster, Coach Jones has some very talented underclassmen. “M’Lee Vinson is averaging approximately 6 ppg and nearly 5 assists per game. Harria Mendoza and Jada Jones who are sophomores also contribute. Mendoza is averaging 14 ppg, around 6 rebounds pg, and almost 5 steals per game. She has 5 double doubles and a triple double this season. Jones is averaging nearly 9 ppg, 9 rebounds ppg, 7.4 assists pg, and 7.6 steals pg. She has 5 double/doubles, two triple doubles, and a quadruple double this season.”
Leadership has also accounted for their season success. “Our team leadership comes in various phases: Clarissa and Harria are the performance leaders. They lead by playing hard each night. M’Lee is the energy. Our bench provides great support. Jada is the floor general. She runs the show out on the court and is the team voice”.
