By JOSHUA MCKINNEY, Staff Writer
Porter let an eight-point lead at halftime turn into a one-point deficit heading into the third quarter, but the Cowboys kept it together and started the season with a win.
Despite a furious second-half charge from Rivera’s young squad, Porter beat Rivera in the schools’ boys basketball opener 64-58 on Tuesday night at Rivera.
Rivera entered the fourth with a 43-42 lead after trailing most of the game. Both teams battled during the final quarter, trading leads and switching momentum on nearly every possession.
But point guard Mike Reyes, Porter’s impact player, made a no-look pass to Luis Garza II, who was waiting at the wing and calmly made a vital three-point shot to make it 59-56 with less than one minute left and gave Porter the lead for good.
“My teammates already know that when I’m driving the ball, I can see them,” Reyes said. “They know as soon as I’m driving to be ready for the ball.”
Porter coach Luis Garza thought the Cowboys’ ability to handle late-game pressure from Rivera is an encouraging sign for this season.
“I’m really proud of the fact that they kept their composure (in the fourth quarter),” Garza said. “Last year, this group wouldn’t have a won a game like this. (Mike) Reyes does a really good job of controlling everything for us. When the ball’s not in his hands, we make mistakes.”
Rivera’s young team battled a slow start to the game — the Raiders scored one point during the first quarter and 17 total in the first half — to make it close in the second half. The Raiders’ defense led to Rivera’s furious comeback during the third quarter, using a backcourt press to force several turnovers and help generate offense. They scored 23 points in the third.
“We played a good second half, but our first half wasn’t too good,” Rivera coach Saul Villarreal said. “The games about four quarters … they beat us the first half. (Fighting in the second) half kind of wore us out, but it was the first game of the season with a lot of underclassmen.”
Oscar Losoyo might have had his breakout performance Tuesday night. The sophomore led Rivera with 23 points, including 16 during the Raiders’ strong second half.
“With him being a sophomore, getting fired up and getting some shots, everybody felt his intensity,” Villarreal said. “That helped us out … then everybody started stepping up and playing ball.”
Both Manny Guerrero and Oscar Hernandez scored 12 points. Hernandez led the Raiders on the glass with seven rebounds.
Reyes scored six points and had seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in Porter’s winning effort. Joel Gracia led Porter with 16 points and Garza II scored 12 points, including three three-point shots.