By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
LOS FRESNOS – In a game of runs, McAllen Rowe was able to sustain its scoring burst and slow down Harlingen High long enough to earn a 58-41 win to open the Tournament of Champions Thursday afternoon inside the Los Fresnos United dome.
After nearly battling to a stalemate in the first half, the Warriors took a 25-23 lead into the locker room at the break, when Harlingen High’s Lionel Gutierrez (12 points) drove hard to the basket to collect a shooting foul and a bucket for the Cardinals’ first points of the second half. After he drained the free throw, Gutierrez knocked down a three and Jesus Fernandez added a basket to cap an 8-0 for a 31-26 Harlingen High lead.
The turning point of the game occurred when the Warriors made a defensive adjustment that was enabled first by a counterattack to Harlingen High’s aggressive press.
“We did a good job of breaking the press,” McAllen Rowe coach Jose Luis Yebra said. “Our kids stepped in, and played some good minutes and stepped in and made some clutch shots.”
Rowe locked down the Cardinals for the rest of the period with a 17-0 run, highlighted by five points from Darrin Everage and six from Louie Yebra, who led all scorers with 22 points. Everage gave the Warriors the go-ahead bucket and a 33-31 edge with 4:30 to go in the third quarter.
“(Coach Yebra) did a good job of changing up his defense,” Harlingen High coach Clayton Cretors said. “We struggled to see if they were in zone or man, and our ball movement stopped. We struggled from there on out and couldn’t get a grasp of our offense.”
Rowe’s lead ballooned to 43-31 at the end of the third quarter, and Everage continued to be a force in the paint, backing down Jordan Crenshaw and scoring the first basket of the fourth quarter while drawing a foul and sinking the free throw. Everage finished with 12 points and was 4-of-5 from the free throw line.
“(Everage) is a very talented individual,” Cretors said. “He plays very smart, he’s able to handle the ball and penetrate and kick to find open shooters. I told the guys I had guarding him that it was a tremendous challenge to go out there and make him take contested shots and stay in front of him.”
Ruben Gonzalez had eight points for Harlingen High.
Yebra said one of the benefits of tournament play was facing teams with different strengths and approaches.
“We played some great defense,” Yebra said. “Harlingen’s a really good team. I think Harlingen gave us a great look because they’re so physical. … I think we like to play teams like that to make us a little bit tougher.”
Today, the Warriors will take on Euless Trinity, with the Cardinals playing Strake Jesuit. Both games are slated to take place at 4:30 p.m.