By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
LOS FRESNOS — The Los Fresnos Falcons used their uptempo game to race past the McAllen High Bulldogs for a 73-59 home-court win Tuesday in non-district basketball action.
“It was a total team effort,” said Falcons coach Marco Hinojosa, whose squad improved to 4-3 as he reached the 100-win plateau as a coach. “The score may not indicate it, but our guys played very well and took care of business tonight, and it wasn’t just one guy who did the job. Our guys all did the job on both ends of the floor.
“We like to run and our goal tonight was to get some fastbreak points,” he added. “I don’t know how many we got, but I thought we did a good job of doing that.”
Hinojosa’s career record as a coach at Los Fresnos is now 100-43.
After spotting the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead, the Falcons scored 3-pointers on their first three baskets of the game to make it 9-4 with 4:39 to go in the opening period.
The Falcons’ lead soon increased to 10 points twice at 16-6 and 18-8 before McHi cut the margin to seven points, 18-11, by the end of the first quarter.
The Bulldogs (1-2) closed to within six points, 29-23, when Bryan Argil nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 44 seconds left in the half before Los Fresnos’ Josh Martinez scored from underneath on a rebound at the buzzer for an eight-point Falcons’ advantage of 31-23 at intermission.
The Falcons held a double-digit lead throughout the entire second half. They went into the final period up 55-35, having outscored McHi 24-12 in the third period.
Los Fresnos’ biggest advantage of 30 points, 69-39, came with 4:10 left when Gabe Martinez drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key. From there, the Bulldogs rallied and narrowed the lead to 73-59 by game’s end.
Four Los Fresnos players scored in double figures led by Andrew Carrizales’ 18 points that included a pair of 3-pointers. Teammates Gabe Martinez, Jordan Urbina and Tomas Rangel added 14, 10 and 10 points, respectively. Gabe Martinez finished with four 3-pointers, while Urbina had two. Overall, the Falcons hit nine treys.
Argil and Deshaun Primus led McHi with 18 and 17 points, respectively. Primus and Marcos Saldana (nine points total) led their team with three 3-pointers apiece, while Argil had one.
“We’re probably the only team in the Valley that has played (just) two games
(at this point of the season),” McHi coach Ryan Flores said prior to the contest.
The season continues for both teams later this week as the Bulldogs play in the San Antonio Southwest Tournament beginning Thursday. Los Fresnos next plays at Pace at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Hinojosa liked what he saw from his team Tuesday night. The Falcons have won district three straight years, including last season when they shared the District 32-6A championship with Weslaco High.
“It’s a senior ballclub,” the Falcons coach said. “We’ve got high expectations and everybody knows that. We’ve got a big target on our backs, but we’re up for the challenge.”