LA FERIA — PSJA North’s Gianni Beltran scored 31 points to lead the Raiders over the La Feria Lions 66-57 on Thursday at the 91st annual C.E. Vail Tournament at La Feria High School.
La Feria, out of District 32-4A, went toe-to-toe with District 31-5A’s PSJA North for most of the game. The Raiders held off a late comeback attempt from the Lions after Beltran fouled out with 3:42 left in the game.
“The kids played hard,” La Feria head coach Erik Villagomez said. “We missed a lot of shots. Sometimes it is a hit-or-miss game. The thing I was impressed with is they kept fighting. They showed a lot of character against a very strong and well-coached PSJA North team.”
The Lions were led in scoring by guards Kyle Aguirre and Julian Torres, each of whom finished with 12 points. Gavin Vento, also a guard, put up 11 points for La Feria.
“They have some really good guards,” PSJA North head coach Angel Alonzo said. “They have good shooters and do a really good job with the press. Our guys kept our composure for most of the game breaking the press.”
When the Raiders broke the press, it often led to easy buckets for Beltran. PSJA North built a cushion during the fourth quarter when it started to nail shots from beyond the arc. The Raiders made four 3-pointers in the second half compared to one in the first half. Raiders guard Mason Lopez made three of them and finished with 16 points.
“They did good,” Alonzo said. “We are able to get some more plays in the game. I think when we play patient, we are a little bit better than when we play fast.”
PSJA North’s patience was on display during the third quarter, when La Feria unleashed a press that resulted in quick baskets for the Lions to make it 30-27, the closest the Lions got to the Raiders.
The Raiders settled down and moved the ball efficiently past the press instead of taking the bait on risky passes. It resulted in easy baskets for Beltran, who scored 11 points in the quarter, his highest scoring quarter of the game.
“We start district Tuesday,” Alonzo said. “I think this tournament is perfect for us to go over stuff that we have not.”
Thirty teams make up the field for the Vail tournament, the longest running high school basketball tournament in the Rio Grande Valley.
“We appreciate all the workers and coaches that come out here,” Villagomez said. “It is a real long-lasting tournament, and it has been an honor to help organize it.”
Seeded play in the tournament begins at 9 a.m. today. The tournament championship is slated for 5:30 p.m. Saturday at La Feria High School’s main gym.