By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
LOS FRESNOS – Los Fresnos coach Marco Hinojosa is used to seeing excellence from Ricky Altamirano and the selfless brand of positionless basketball he has installed with the Falcons.
Altamirano had 18 points, Gerry Martinez added 15, and Los Fresnos cruised to a 59-38 win over McAllen High Tuesday night.
“Ricky’s a special player,”Hinojosa said. “But the team is also special. We scored in spurts, and there’s times that Gerry can go for eight straight. … It’s just different people at different times.”
The Falcons’ Luis Gonzalez knocked down a three-pointer for the game’s first basket,and
Martinez hit a 3 that put the Falcons up 8-0 with 5:30 to go in the first quarter. Los Fresnos led 10-0 with three minutes to go, and the Bulldogs were held off the scoreboard until the 4:14 mark of the first quarter, when QuinLLion Canada was fouled on a floater and drained a free throw to compete a three-point play.
“Q was killing us every which way,” Hinojosa said. “We couldn’t stop it. But we defended a little bit better, and most importantly we rebounded all those missed shots, and that was the big difference for us in the second half.”
Shortly after that, Martinez was fouled while making a double-clutch layup and converted the free throw. Los Fresnos led 20-11 after the first quarter, and Martinez again connected from three-point range to make the score 23-14 in favor of the home team with 7:10 to go in the second quarter.
Canada’s three-pointer cut the lead to five at 25-20 with 5:45 to go in the second quarter. A steal by Eric Ruiz led to an and-one layup that brought McHi within two points with 5:08 remaining in the second quarter.
Three-pointers from Ruiz and Robert Canal brought the Bulldogs to within one, trailing Los Fresnos 27-26 with three minutes to go in the first half.
But Martinez ensured McHi would not get any closer. With 29 seconds to go, the freshman was fouled again on a reverse layup and cashed in on the free throw. Elian Gonzalez followed his teammate by euro-stepping his way to the rim for a lay-in that gave the Falcons a 32-26 lead at the half.
Canal opened the third quarter with a three for McHi, but Los Fresnos outscored the Bulldogs 18-7 in the period and 9-5 in the fourth quarter.
Altamirano showed off his ability to dish the rock to his teammates in the second half, assisting Tony Aldrighetti on a corner three that made the score 37-31. Altamirano also led the break on a bounce pass to Gonzalez for a layup off the glass to make it 39-31 with 3:40 to go in the third.
“(The players) don’t get enough credit for that, but they’re a very unselfish team,” Hinojosa said.
A pair of free throws by Martinez grew the lead to 10 at 41-31, part of an 11-5 run in the period. Martinez also distributed the ball, driving to the rim and kicking the ball out to Alex Moreno for a three that put Los Fresnos ahead 47-31.
A strong take to the rim from Altamirano resulted in a 3-point play that put the Falcons up 50-33.
He also knocked down a 3 that put Los Fresnos up 54-35 with 5:30 to go in the game. Yet again, late in the fourth quarter, Altamirano got a bucket to fall while drawing contact from a McHi defender. He finished 3-for-4 from the charity stripe, and nailed the ensuing free throw to give the Falcons a 57-35 lead (their largest of the night) as Los Fresnos cruised to the win.