By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
PHARR — Rio Grande City girls basketball coach Gus Valenciana wasn’t quite 100 percent certain, but he believes his team’s 55-33 Class 5A bi-district victory against Pace on Monday at PSJA North marked the first time the Lady Rattlers have won a playoff game.
If it wasn’t the first, it’s one of the rare postseason wins the Lady Rattlers have experienced in basketball, the coach said.
“We don’t have that much history (of success),” Valenciana said. “In fact, I want to say it’s our first playoff victory ever, so this is pretty special. It’s our first (bi-district) trophy.
“I’m just super proud of the girls,” he added. “Our big girls came out big tonight with their scoring and rebounding. Our defense has been great all season, and it was great again in this game.
“Our starters are all underclassmen, so we have a lot of hope (for the future).”
Leading the way for RGC was Jocelyn Amaya, a 5-foot-11 sophomore post who recorded a game-high 29 points, including 23 during the second half. Teammate Adrianna Cruz, a guard, added 12 points.
The District 31-5A third-place Lady Rattlers (23-11) led 8-2 after one quarter, 18-4 at halftime and 35-19 going into the final period.
RGC next plays Laredo Cigarroa or Alice in the second round of the playoffs later this week.
The District 32-5A runner-up Lady Vikings (20-13) picked a bad time to have a poor shooting game. Pace’s shots from the field just didn’t fall and the Lady Vikings didn’t have much luck from the free-throw line either against the taller Lady Rattlers.
“If you don’t box out your opponent’s big girls and you don’t make your free throws, you’re not going to win a game,” Lady Vikings coach Kris Metzmaker said. “When you put your opponent on the line and they make their free throws and you miss yours, you’re going to lose.
“We put them on the line in the first half, and that’s where they made most of their points,” Metzmaker added. “It’s hard to come back from that.”
Kaylynn Quezada and Ebony Casanova led Pace with seven points each. Casanova had a 3-pointer. Teammates Jessica Aguilar and Katelynn Quezada added five points each, with Aguilar also hitting a 3-pointer.
The Lady Rattlers led by double digits most of the way, beginning early in the second quarter. Their biggest lead of 25 points, 49-24, came with 3:46 remaining when Cruz scored from underneath the basket.