KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
HARLIGEN — Tuesday night’s girls basketball Bird Bowl had just about every twist and turn.
Harlingen South went pound for pound with rival Harlingen High, and it wasn’t until the final minutes of the fourth quarter that the Lady Cardinals pulled away.
Harlingen High’s duo of Alexus Coto and Avery Hinojosa combined for 14 fourth-quarter points to help seal a 45-36 win over Harlingen South. The win put the Lady Cardinals in sole possession of first place in District 32-6A with a 4-0 record.
All of Coto’s points came during the fourth quarter. Hinojosa finished with a game-high 14 points.
After a sluggish start on offense, it was a matter of adjusting on offense and finding the lanes. Hinojosa displayed her ball skills and created space, slicing through the Lady Hawks’ defense for a layup that gave the Lady Cards a 33-28 lead and the momentum.
“We started off slow. We were a little nervous in the first quarter, and our shots weren’t falling,” Hinojosa said. “We came out fired up in the second half and shook off the nerves. We used our speed and used our traps, and we had backdoor cuts. We came back and won. It was a matter of us having mental toughness.”
Harlingen High’s depth was on full display Tuesday night. Trailing 12-10 late in the second quarter, Harlingen High coach Ashley Moncivaiz turned to her bench and finished the final minutes of the half with all five players being freshman.
The result was a 7-0 run and a 17-12 halftime lead. With the freshman group growing before fans’ eyes, Tuesday night’s win likely will be considered the game where the youngsters took the next step forward in their development.
“When we were down and we weren’t getting anything, we put our freshman out there and they were the ones that got us back into the game and gave us a lead at the half,” Moncivaiz said. “When we put them in there they helped us take over and make a statement. A lot of what those girls do are hustle plays, they dive for the ball and they rebound. They have played together, so they have familiarity with each other.”
The Lady Hawks have lost six straight to their crosstown rivals. Despite the loss, the Lady Hawks remain in good shape with a 3-1 district record. They next host Hanna on Friday night.
“We had to come out in man-to-man, and they spread us out and they were able to find the basket,” South coach Kelley Garrett said. “I told the girls it was going to come down to a matter of runs, and that is what happened. We exchanged runs and we had a couple kids that were super nervous, but they settled down and played better.”
Harlingen High will look to end the first round of district play with a win as it takes on Brownsville Rivera on Friday.