By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Rivera started slow and couldn’t match the offensive output by San Benito.
As the Lady Raiders struggled offensively, the Lady Greyhounds took advantage and used a quick start to fuel a 75-25 victory in a District 32-6A girls basketball game Tuesday at Rivera.
As Rivera (0-3 in District 32-6A) struggled from the field and turned the ball over, San Benito (3-0) had one of its best shooting nights of the season as it connected on 11 3-pointers as Miranda Vallejo led the way with 36 points, including three 3-pointers, three rebounds and five steals.
“We had too many turnovers,” Rivera coach Willie Brown said. “We had opportunities to make shots and we didn’t make them, but they made theirs. They have a good senior ball club and it showed.”
Jacqueline Montes led the Lady Raiders with 10 points, but didn’t get going until after halftime and it wasn’t enough to keep up with the Lady Greyhounds’ hot shooting.
After Rivera’s Mayra Martinez tied the game at 2 with a bucket, San Benito’s Holly Lopez hit a 3 and later Vallejo sank a 3-pointer during a 9-0 run as it took an 11-2 lead. Desiree Perez hit a layup to stop the run for the Lady Raiders, but the Lady Greyhounds weren’t finished as Lopez hit two more 3-pointers and they finished the opening quarter on a 9-0 run to build a 25-8 lead.
“We needed to come out fast, we have a hard district,” San Benito coach Abel Moreno Jr. said. “We have to get used to getting out fast and that was the game plan. We came out and shot well … probably the best of the season.”
It didn’t get better for Rivera in the second quarter. Emilee Barraza started with a 3 and San Benito went on a 17-0 run to begin the second. Vallejo scored nine points during the run as the Lady Greyhounds kept hitting from all over the floor. Valeria Garcia hit a jumper for the Lady Raiders, but that would be all they got and trailed 42-10 at the break.
Rivera shot well in the third quarter as Montes started with a pair of free throws and hit four shots, including back-to-back buckets at one point and scored all of her 10 points in the third. But Barraza answered with 10 points in the quarter, including three 3-pointers and San Benito led 61-22 after three.
Perez hit a 3 in the beginning of the fourth quarter for the Lady Raiders, but Vallejo answered with back-to-back triples and helped the Lady Greyhounds to continue to pull away in the final quarter during the district victory.
Perez finished with five points, including a 3 and Garcia added four points for Rivera.
Barraza finished with 16 points, including five 3-pointers and Arlene Lucero added seven points and 11 rebounds for San Benito.
The Lady Greyhounds are unbeaten in District 32-6A thus far and head into the break with plenty of confidence.
“We’ve been building momentum and this is a senior-led ball club and we feel this is our year,” Moreno Jr. said. “The girls are focused … they want to be a district contender and this is the type of game that’s it’s going to take.”
For the Lady Raiders, they hope to regroup during the holiday break and play better. With a lot of inexperience on their squad, it’s going to take a group effort.
“We just have to mature, that’s all it is,” Brown said. “We don’t always go where we’re supposed to or do what we’re supposed to do … but when we do, we get layups. You can’t coach (maturity) … until they do; it’s not going to change. When we don’t turn the ball over, we’re better. (Tuesday) we went back to our old ways.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.