BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
PHARR — The latest round of UIL realignment placed McAllen Memorial and PSJA North together in a new iteration of District 30-6A last February.
The Mustangs and Raiders were both strong playoff teams in 2017-18. McAllen Memorial finished the year with an undefeated 12-0 district season while PSJA North finished its 30-win season second in District 31-6A at 12-2 behind Edinburg High.
McAllen Memorial and PSJA North, the likely district title favorites in the new 30-6A, met in both clubs’ district opener Friday. If the outcome holds true, it might be the Mustangs standing above the fray again as the district’s and one of the Valley’s best. McAllen Memorial defeated PSJA North 72-44 on the Raiders’ home floor.
“Our kids came out aggressive from the get-go, but they kind of relaxed and stopped playing aggressive defense,” McAllen Memorial coach Clarisse Arredondo said. “I told them at halftime that if they want to be one of the best teams and be where we need to be, then they need to go hard all 32 minutes. But, you know, they’re kids, so they tend to want to take a break.”
The Mustangs (12-4, 1-0) were on a mission from the opening tip. McAllen Memorial’s pressure defense confused PSJA North and forced turnovers in the backcourt. The Mustangs feasted, causing PSJA North coach Randy Bocanegra to call two 30-second timeouts within the first 1:16 of the game.
McAllen Memorial held a 21-0 lead at the 3:20 mark of the first quarter.
“We believe in our press,” McAllen Memorial point guard Tani Talamantez said. “We don’t give a thought to the team we’re playing. We trust our press. Coming out here, we didn’t care which guards we were guarding. We had to play our game and that’s what got us our lead in the first quarter.”
PSJA North (20-3, 0-1) trailed by 18 points after the opening quarter. The Raiders went on an 11-0 run to cut the Mustang lead to seven, but they didn’t get any closer for the remainder of the night.
“We scrimmaged the (PSJA North) JV boys this week so we could simulate what their (McAllen Memorial) pressure would look like. We knew what was going to happen, but we just didn’t handle it very well,” Bocanegra said. “The scenario of McAllen Memorial coming into our house. It’s the first district game and they (Memorial) did a better job of handling the hype. They are very seasoned.”
Talamantez scored a game-high 28 points in her final first district game of her varsity career.
“I didn’t so well during the preseason,” Talamantez said. “I felt it, and the coaches also let me know. I needed to contribute more, so I needed to push the ball to my teammates for assists or shoot the ball when I’m open.”
“She’s our team captain and it’s her senior year,” Arredondo said of Talamantez. “She wants to lead the district in scoring average and she wants to attain her other goals. I’d like for her to do a little better on defense, but it’s hard to score 28 points and be able to get steals and rebounds. She’s the engine of this team. When she moves, everybody else moves.”