MISSION — Pick an adjective: consistent, persistent, efficient. All are fitting to describe the play of Ashley Smith.
During Tuesday’s game against Weslaco East, the senior guard for Mission Veterans Memorial scored a game-high 20 points, collecting buckets by any means necessary on her way to helping the Lady Patriots to a 42-21 victory over the Lady Wildcats.
Though Smith finished 4-of-10 from the field, she made 11 of her 13 free throws. But Smith used her senior savvy to do more than score.
“Not only was she active on the offensive end, but she got some rebounds and played some great defense,” Mission Veterans coach Rafael Cantu said. “When Ashley can get rebounds, she gets to the foul line, and we love her at the foul line.”
The win improves Mission Veterans’ record to 8-6. Weslaco East falls to 9-7.
The two teams spent the early part of the game trading baskets. With the score tied at 4, the Lady Patriots went on a 9-2 run to end the first quarter with a lead of 15-6. Mission Veterans received scoring contributions from seven players during the first eight minutes.
“No matter who’s out there, we’re looking for playmakers instead of just running schemes,” Cantu said. “We want to score as much as we can.”
Depth has been a strength for the Lady Patriots this season. The team returns six players from last year’s team in addition to a crew of JV callups and sophomore Gabby Gallardo, who is playing her first season on varsity. Gallardo’s outside shooting has been utilized by Cantu to create space for Smith and others to operate in the paint.
“We weren’t rushing anything tonight,” Gallardo said. “We were just moving the ball, taking high-quality shots and being patient.”
But, as it is with the Lady Patriots, everything came back to defense. Mission Vets spent the entirety of the evening generating takeaways and turning added opportunites into transition buckets or trips to the foul line.
“We were running a 2-3 defense,” Smith said. “(Weslaco East) run a 2-3 defense too, so we kind of knew what offensive plays would work for us.”
Smith scored 11 points during the second quarter, including her lone 3-point attempt on the night. At halftime, the Lady Patriots enjoyed a 28-15 lead.
Altough the Lady Wildcats trailed for much of the evening, they were never out of contention until late in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Chylee LeFevre scored a team-high 14 points behind a 6-of-9 mark at the foul line.
“I’m missing my point guard,” East coach William Kromer said of the absent Mig Cepeda. “She got a wrist injury and we haven’t had her for a couple of weeks. We try to run the offense through Chylee, but she’s more of a scorer and a shooter. We ask her to do a lot as a creator for us.”
While East’s offense sputtered, Smith made sure the Lady Patriots maintained their intensity. Cantu noticed the energy from the sideline.
“We played with a little more bounce in our step,” he said. “We were all moving. That’s when we’re at our best. The girls had a focus, which is almost everything. They were alive, they were ready.”