RIO GRANDE CITY — The Roma Gladiators used a second-quarter surge to take down Starr County rival Rio Grande City 56-50 in their District 30-5A opener Friday at Rio Grande City High School.
Roma guard Allen Perez scored a team-high 16 points, while Devin Galvan and Alex Perez chipped in nine and seven, respectively.
Diego Martinez led Rio Grande City with 16 points. Leo Villanueva had 13 points.
Tied at 10 after one, the Gladiators turned up the defensive pressure and converted on the offensive end to outscore the Rattlers 20-6 during the second quarter.
The Gladiators’ lead remained in double-digits until a late comeback attempt by Rio Grande City trimmed the advantage to 50-47 midway through the fourth.
“It’s a rivalry, so both teams are going to fight. They’re not going to give up, and that’s what happened at the end,” Roma head coach Luis Ramirez said. “We got enough experience where we took control at the end and made the right plays to get this ‘W.’”
Next for Roma is a 30-5A matchup against Laredo Cigarroa at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Roma High School.
Meanwhile, Rio Grande City will look to bounce back against Mission Veterans at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Rio Grande City High School.