BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
MERCEDES — There is a lot of basketball left to play, but there might be a new favorite in District 32-5A.
The Mercedes Tigers (19-7) continued its perfect record in district competition after their 55-35 win over Brownsville Pace at Jim Norris Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
Since it dropped down from a Class 6A to a Class 5A school before the 2016-17 season, Brownsville Veterans has owned this district. The Chargers won 27 of 28 district games to win the last two 32-5A titles outright.
But the Tigers are now all alone atop District 32-5A with a 5-0 record. One of their five wins was a one-point win over Brownsville Veterans on Dec. 18.
“Brownsville Veterans is still a favorite, and Donna (High) is still up there, but this year has been a lot more competitive,” Mercedes coach Santiago Rivas said of the district. “As far as us, I think we’re jelling better. We’ve shown more progress at this point this year than where we were last year. Last year was my first year and now I think the girls get what we’re trying to do. We’ve got players in the right place now.”
While Mercedes and Brownsville Pace (11-17, 2-3) were tied at seven through one quarter, the Tigers controlled the pace in all four quarters. Mercedes began to pull away when it took advantage of the Vikings’ unforced errors and dominated the glass.
“They had a lot more energy rebounding the ball than we did,” Brownsville Pace coach Eddie Lozano said. “We need to do better with our energy from everybody and that includes me. We’ve got to pick it up in practice and in the games. We still have a shot to make the playoffs with the second round of districts coming up, but Mercedes is a tough team. They’re one of the few teams that has blown us out. Everyone else that beat us beat us by 10 points or less.”
“Today was our best game rebounding the ball all year long,” Rivas said. “Especially offensive rebounds.”
Mercedes junior forward Mika Vento was the best player on the floor. She scored 15 points in the second and third quarters combined to help the Tigers build a 40-25 lead entering the final period. Vento finished the game with 22 points.
“Mika does everything,” Rivas said. “She’s very athletic and is one of our best dribblers. She even stepped out and hit a 3 from the top of the key like a guard would. She’s a smart, coachable kid like all our kids are. It’s part of the reason why she is one of our team captains.”
Mercedes guard Sellie Gonzales, another team captain, chipped in eight points. Dominique Gonzalez and Malory Noriega scored six apiece for the Tigers. Brownsville Pace guard Lexy Arce led the Vikings’ scoring with 15 points.