BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Getting to the top is a challenge, but as Sharyland Pioneer can attest, staying there is even harder.
“I told my guys, you are undefeated and that means you have a big target,” Pioneer coach Rene Gonzalez said. “Everyone in our district wants to be the team to beat us. They will be ready for us, especially in the second round.”
That was the case on Friday night as Pioneer got off to a late start against Mission Veterans, then found a way to get the 56-43 win to stay undefeated in District 31-5A competition.
“It wasn’t as easy as we thought it would be, but a win is a win,” junior guard Luke Padilla said. “We just had to dig deep, get some stops defensively and execute offensively.”
The Diamondbacks had a 26-15 lead at the half, and all the momentum carried into the second half, as Pioneer looked ready to run away with it.
Just when things started to seem bleak for the Patriots, senior guard Noe Cantu found his rhythm. The Patriots went on a 16-3 run that started at the end of the third and carried into the fourth. The Patriots cut the lead to three points and Cantu scored 12 of the 16 points on the run.
“We called a timeout, and coach settled us down,” sophomore guard Miguel Angel Gonzalez said. “They told us, we have to stop Noe, and that was it.”
After the break, Cantu missed his shot on back-to-back possessions, and the Diamondbacks seized control and iced the game.
The game started much later than it should have, thanks to a delay in the girls game between the same teams on the same court, just prior. The game officially began just after 8:30 p.m., an hour after the scheduled start.
“We just stretched and stayed mentally ready in the locker room,” Miguel Angel Gonzalez said. “We weren’t able to shoot after halftime, but they had a hallway, and we were getting hyped in there.”
Padilla hit a big 3-pointer just before the half to push Pioneer’s lead into double digits. With sophomore guard Eddie Lee Marburger out with a season-ending injury, Padilla is one of many Diamondbacks who have had to step up in his absence.
Padilla finished with 21, Miguel Angel Goznalez added 10. Junior forward Lavar Lindo also finished with 10 for Pioneer.
Cantu led the way for Vets with 25.
“The good thing about these kids, is they look for each other,” coach Gonzalez said. “That is the mentality they have in practice, and it carries over into the games. We have a motto: make everybody around you better.”
The Diamondbacks had six players score Friday, and sophomore forward Miguel Ramsoo would have made it seven players, if not for an off-ball foul on his 3-pointer.
Things got a little testy before the half in the Mission rivalry game. Patriots sophomore AJ Gonzaque and Lindo got tangled up a few times. Then Gonzaque went to try to score in the paint, but Lindo came down with a thunderous block. Lindo was called for a foul on the play, and in response, Gonzaque blew a kiss. Gonzaque was given a technical for the kiss.
“He is six four and he is strong, and he will always have a big target on his back,” Coach Gonzalez said. “I told him, ‘teams will always try to do different things on you. You have to stay composed at all times.’”
Lindo kept his calm after that, and was able to play a big role in the team’s performance in the second half.
The Diamondbacks improve to 21-7 overall and 9-0 in 31-5A. they are one game up on Rio Grande City, but Friday’s win all but secures Pioneer at least a second seed.
The team’s trek toward a district title continues Tuesday, when the Diamondbacks take on PSJA Memorial at 7:30 p.m. on their home court.
“We have to stay humble,” Miguel Angel Gonzalez said. “We have to keep grinding in practice. We have to thank God for the position he has put us in. And we have to stay hungry and humble.”