By JOSHUA McKINNEY, Staff Writer
The Pace Vikings proved once again that when the game comes down to the wire, their veins run ice cold.
Pace long-range expert Luis Rodriguez hit a buzzer-beating 3 from the wing to give his team a 47-46 victory over Porter at home.
Friday night’s game had the feel of a playoff game, which Pace coach Jose Luis Ramirez attributed to the high stakes of the game between crosstown rivals, one fighting for a chance to make the playoffs and the other gunning for the District 32-5A title.
“I think because our district is so competitive, that it is like (a playoff game),” Ramirez said. “It’s about momentum. Every game might as well be a playoff game because we’re so competitive. I think it prepares us for that. If we’re lucky enough to get to playoffs, I think it’s preparing us for that environment. I wish it wasn’t like that. I wish that we would perhaps have more of a cushion, but the reality is that we have to work for everything.”
“We try to make our practices as competitive as possible, too, and we’ve had really tough practices, so I think it transcends to what the game dictates,” he added. “In this case, it was that type of atmosphere. Porter’s fighting for a playoff spot and we’re fighting for a district crown, so there’s something for both teams. Any time you have a game that means a lot for both teams, you’re going to have that.”
The Vikings (17-10, 8-1) led by five points at the start of the fourth quarter, but Porter (10-15, 4-5) cut into the lead and tied it on a 3-pointer from Erick Melendez with 1:10 left on the clock.
Melendez rebounded a missed shot on Pace’s next possession. The ball found its way to Luis Garza II, who threw a pass to Mike Reyes while falling to the court.
Reyes went in for the layup and made it, putting Porter ahead 46-44 with 35 seconds left and giving the Vikings a slim chance of getting back in the win column.
“Honestly, I’m not going to lie. I thought we were going to lose the game because of the layup they made,” Rodriguez said. “I thought we were going to hold the ball and then they missed their shot. We happened to get the last shot, so I’m pretty happy with the win.”
Alex Acosta drove down the court, but Melendez picked Acosta’s pocket and took the ball the other way. Joel Gracia drove in for a bucket but missed, and Angel Munoz came down with the rebound to give Pace a final chance.
“Still, we’re not mature enough to know what we need to do,” Porter coach Luis Garza said. “Despite the fact that we had an open layup, we don’t need it. We have to be smart enough to know that. I’ll say what, Pace deserved it. I hope they win the whole district. They’re the better team. I told the kids if they beat us twice, they’re the better team. No matter how good we played, they’re the better team. I think my guys played hard, showed a lot of growth, but still we need to learn a little bit more when it comes to a big game.”
Munoz passed the ball to Esteban Garza around the top of the key. From there, Garza saw Rodriguez unguarded at the wing and slung the ball to him for the shot.
Garza led Pace with 11 points and grabbed five rebounds. Rodriguez finished with nine points, all from 3s, and Mario Salinas finished with a team-high nine rebounds.
Defense was vital in keeping the Cowboys in the game, with the team combining for eight steals.
“Our defense is keeping us in games where we’re not making our shots,” Luis Garza said. “I thought our group that comes off the bench now stepped up and made some shots for us, but it just didn’t happen for us tonight. I hope they win the whole thing. They better win the whole thing if they beat us. At least make it worth it.”
Reyes scored a game-high 12 points for Porter and also added four rebounds, six assists and three steals. Albert Garza scored nine points and led Porter with seven rebounds. Melendez scored eight points.
Pace led Porter by one point after the first quarter and took over during the second thanks to its three-point shooting. Rodriguez and Randy Aguilar each hit two 3s each in the quarter, and Pace led 26-19 going into halftime.
Porter fought back during the third and cut Pace’s lead to five points by the end of the quarter. Reyes took over to get the Cowboys back in the game, scoring seven points in the quarter and assisting on a bucket by Garza.
“(Porter is) on a mission, and we knew that they were going to come in to do what probably many would think is impossible, but I know they can beat us anytime,” Ramirez said. “I knew that they were going to come out hard. Even with a seven-point lead at halftime. Going into the second half I told the kids to be ready because they will not give up. They will not give up. They showed it in the first game. They’re going to show it here and, sure enough, they did.”
Joshua McKinney covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter, he’s @joshuabvherald.