BY KEVIN NARRO | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
EDCOUCH — Edcouch-Elsa needed a win to keep pace in District 32-5A, welcoming rival Mercedes into the friendly confines of the E-E gym. In a fourth quarter that featured multiple lead changes, the Yellowjackets’ Jesse Granados scored 11 points to lift E-E past Mercedes 75-74 on Friday.
The night belonged to Granados, who hit big shot after big shot. He accounted for a quick eight points off back-to-back 3s and one uncontested jumper from the left elbow. Granados finished with a game-high 31 points.
“Coached wanted me to step up, and I responded,” Granados said. “To be honest, this is my favorite side of the court. I was able to get rebounds, and help my team in other ways. It just wasn’t my scoring. As a team, we fed of off this crowd. They were loud tonight. Our defense made some key plays toward the end, and we all fed off of each other’s energy.”
The third quarter was a mirror image of the fourth quarter. Mercedes began the third quarter on a 9-2 run, giving the Tigers a six-point lead. Senior Marco Aguinaga rallied the Jackets back with a 6 points in the quarter, giving E-E a 44-41 lead late in the period.
“Our crowd tonight was very loud, but that’s what you get when we play Mercedes,” Yellowjackets coach Randy Capello said. “Our kids were able to feed off of them. Our kids have a lot of pride. Mercedes is in second place for a reason, and we knew if we didn’t show up to play, we would get run out of the gym. We can use this win, as a jump start, as we hit the back end of our schedule.”
Both teams turned Friday night’s game into a track meet. Mercedes scored 24 points in the third quarter, led by Richard Urbina, who netted 6 points in that quarter. Ryan Reyes finished with a team-high 18 points for the Tigers.
Mercedes cut a six-point lead to 71-69 with less than two minutes remaining. Rey Rincon’s missed free throws proved costly for the Tigers, with Aguinaga’s basket on the ensuing possession to making it a two-possession game with under a minute left.
Despite the late blunder, Reyes drilled a 3-pointer, making it a 75-74 in the final seconds. Jaime Rodriguez missed a potential game-winner for Mercedes with one second remaining on the clock.
With the win, the Yellowjackets (6-3) remain the No. 3 seed behind Brownsville Veterans (9-0) and Mercedes (7-2) in District 32-5A.
“Tonight was big for us, but come tomorrow its back to work,” Capello said. “Brownsville Pace is playing for a playoff spot, and we have to prepare for them. It’s very important we continue to play our best basketball at the right time.”