By EDWARD SEVERN, Special to RGVSports.com
LA FERIA — The La Feria Lionettes opened the annual Tommie Wiseman tournament with a solid team victory, 48-30, over Alamo IDEA on Thursday morning.
The Lionettes got on the board first with a nice 3 from Rianna Gonzalez. Kaya Dickerson finished off her steal with an easy layup. Alamo IDEA responded with a 3 from Gisselle Fernandez.
Alamo IDEA played good halfcourt defense to start the game and made it hard for the Lionettes to get in the paint, but the Lionettes prevailed with Alani Garza and Mariah Patlan. Dickerson, Gonzalez and Lillian Martinez found their teammates for easy buckets to take a 15-5 lead going into the second quarter.
Lionettes coach Delia Lopez opted for a fresh five the whole second quarter. Alena Benjamin scored five points in the frame and Alamo IDEA was held scoreless. The Lionettes went into the half up 22-5.
“It is very important that they get some experience,” Lopez said. “I have some girls that are first-time varsity players, and it is good for them to get some experience in a varsity tournament.”
Alamo IDEA matched its scoring total of the first half quickly in the third quarter when Vivian Viacobo got a bucket and another 3 from Fernandez.
The quick flurry woke up the Lionettes. Garza, Dickerson and Patlan got buckets in an 11-0 run and locked down defensively. Fernandez ended the run with a 3-point buzzer-beater to end the run and the third quarter 33-13.
The scoring exploded for both teams during the fourth quarter. Lopez again opted to rotate out her starters to be fresher for other tourney games. Benjamin scored eight points in the quarter to lead the Lionettes in scoring.
Alamo IDEA got some good buckets in the quarter as Linda Ruiz and Fernandez grabbed all the points. Fernandez was heating up from downtown, but it was a little too late.
“It is good start,” Lopez said. “It took us a while to wake up, but you hope to start off the tournament with a win.
“We got to get ready for district. This is good practice. Wins are great and everything, but we got to get ready for district. Right now, everything we do is to prepare for that.”