KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

The second half of District 32-4A play tips off tonight, starting with Hidalgo hosting Raymondville. The Lady Pirates look to stay on top with an 8-0 record. The bigger game on the slate will be La Feria traveling to Rio Hondo.

The Lionettes are currently 5-3 and are shooting to keep pace in the district.

Rio Hondo edged La Faria in their last meeting and is currently 7-1 in district play.

“I’m pleased with the way the team has gelled through the first half of district play,” said Lady Bocats coach Victor Sauceda. “We lost a close one in overtime versus Hidalgo, but I’m happy with the way they competed.”

That overtime contest with Hidalgo is the only blemish for Rio Hondo this district season.

Making the second round of district tougher for the Lady ’Cats will be the need to adjust after losing four-year starter Estrella Garza due to a season-ending injury.

“We have had some bumps and bruises but other girls have continued their aggressive style of play that we want to come out with every game,” Sauceda said. “We look forward to refocusing on the second round of district play and peaking at the right time.”

In District 32-6A, Harlingen High continued to roll with a win over Harlingen South on Tuesday. The Lady Cards are 4-0 in league play as they head into road matchup at Rivera. San Benito will travel to Los Fresnos and South will host Hanna.

With the back half of district play underway, just six games remain in the regular season.

During that time, the Lady Chargers, under first-year head coach Arnold Torres, have made leaps and bounds.

After a clean slate through the first half of district play, Brownsville Veterans kept the foot on the gas with a thumping of Pace on Tuesday.

Torres feels the team is starting to click and it starts with consistency

“Right now, I think we are peaking at the right time,” Torres said. “Earlier in the year, defensively, we struggled with different things and it was the same thing on offense. I felt we would start games off slow and now, we have done a better job on staying consistent from the start of the game and getting some motivation from our defense.”

The Lady Chargers remain in sole possession of 32-5A with an 8-0 record, while Valley View is two games back with a 6-2 record.

While the top half of the district is in good shape, the final two seeds remain up for grabs.

Both Pace and Donna are 4-4 while Mercedes, Edcouch-Elsa and Porter are all 3-5 with six games to go.

That makes tonight’s slate of district games all the more important as Mercedes will travel to Porter, BVM will host Donna High, Lopez visits Valley View and Pace will host Edcouch-Elsa.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — As the final buzzer sounded, first-year Harlingen High coach Clayton Cretors was full of emotion.

He had just coached his team to a 47-43 win over crosstown rival Harlingen South. While the win wasn’t the first of his career, it was his first district win. The first one is always the sweetest, and getting one against your rival is even sweeter.

“First district win and first Bird Bowl win, it means so much,” Cretors said. “Being that it is a rivalry game, just the energy and the intensity is there in this game, and we were trying to get this win for us.”

Harlingen High understood the importance of avoiding a 0-2 district hole and also took the court without junior Michael Castillo, who left Friday’s game against Los Fresnos with a hand injury.

Big Red delivered without Castillo. Michael Vasquez helped fuel the offense with 11 points, and Ruben Gonzalez netted eight.

“Like I said last week, we would put ourselves in a hole if we went down 0-2, so we wanted to make sure we got this win tonight to put us in a good spot, and it was an emotional game and I’m pleased with the guys,” Cretors said. “Tonight we faced adversity, and that is one thing I have been talking to the guys about since last year. We have to have resolve in adversity, and we need to be able to overcome it in whatever the case may be. We need to come back from it, and that is a life lesson for them.”

After a seesaw battle, the biggest play of the night came on a three point play from Gonzalez, who gave the Cards a 47-41 lead with 1:59 left in the game.

On the next three possessions, the Hawks couldn’t find the basket and turned the ball over late.

“We turned the ball over at crucial times,” South coach Brian Molina said. “Much credit to Harlingen High, they did a good job by disrupting stuff defensively, and we knew it was going to be a tough game. Harlingen High just made a couple of extra plays and came up with 50-50 balls, and got the stops when they needed to and executed when they needed to.”

The Hawks are 1-1 in district play, as are the Cards. Harlingen High next takes on Brownsville Rivera while South meets Brownsville Hanna.

Rudy Rodriguez scored a game-high 14 points, and Alex Rodriguez followed with 13 points in the loss.

“I told the guys, the good news is we get to play them again,” Molina said. “Maybe the ball will bounce the other way the next time, and it will be a short turnaround. This is a quick district, and we know Hanna is a pretty good ballclub and we will just go right back to the drawing board.”

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.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — Tuesday night’s Bird Bowl will have city bragging rights on the line, but most importantly, first place in District 32-6A will be up for grabs when the Harlingen High Lady Cardinals play host to the Harlingen South Lady Hawks.

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Both teams are entering Tuesday’s contest with confidence and swagger. Each team is 3-0 in district play as they near the midpoint of the district season.

“4-0 is our motto right now. We want to take things one game at a time,” South coach Kelly Garrett said. “We had a good practice this morning in preparation for Tuesday’s matchup.”

Harlingen High is coming off a physical road win at Los Fresnos, and South used a 13-point performance from Karla Reyes to help secure a 53-15 win over Brownsville Rivera.

Harlingen High has relied on a bevy of young talent, along with some veteran players on the team. Juniors Callie Cervantes, Sydney Portillo, Alyssa Salas and Alexus Coto all look to have an impact. Sophomores Avery Hinojosa and Emery Scoggins also have plenty of experience heading into Tuesday’s matchup.

“I think it is going to be a good matchup,” Lady Cardinals coach Ashley Moncivaiz said after Friday’s win. “From start to finish, it is going to come down to who wants it. It is not going to be easy, we have to go out and fight hard. So for us, we need to be mentally prepared on both ends of the court.”

The Lady Hawks are looking to snap a five-game losing streak to their crosstown rivals. The last time South beat Harlingen High was during the 2016-17 season, 55-49 at Harlingen High.

South’s team is a senior ballclub, one that is eager to earn a road win that would place them alone in first place. The veteran presence of Karla Reyes, Laura Ramirez and Bianca Gonzalez will be one key for the Lady Hawks.

“Having a senior ballclub makes the Bird Bowl important, especially to a lot of my kids,” Garrett said. “They know how intense the game gets and the atmosphere of it all. So it is important for them to go into it with the right mindset.”

On the boys side, Harlingen South also is looking to snap a skid against Harlingen High. The Hawks are 0-4 during their past four meetings. The last South win came during the 2016-17 season.

Prior to that, the Hawks had won nine of the previous 10 meetings under current coach Brian Molina.

The possible 2-0 start would be ideal for the Hawks as they look to keep pace with Los Fresnos in the district race. The Hawks opened district play with a 53-42 win over Brownsville Rivera on Friday night.

“The boys are focused and excited about Tuesday’s game,” Molina said. “They had an extra pep in their step in today’s practice and are looking forward to an intense rivalry game that seems to bring out the best in both schools.”

Harlingen High, meanwhile, hopes to avoid an 0-2 start in district play. The Cardinals dropped their district opener 71-57 to Los Fresnos on Friday.

“Putting yourself in that 0-2 hole is tough to come back from, and especially in a tough district,” Cardinals coach Clayton Cretors said Friday. “But we are going to talk about what we did wrong against Los Fresnos and transition very quickly into Tuesday, and start looking at personnel and matchups and get right back to work.”

Game time is set for 6 p.m. at Harlingen High.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

The Los Fresnos Falcons enter District 32-6A as the favorites to win a sixth straight title. The Falcons are 20-3 as they head into tonight’s district opener against Harlingen High.

Los Fresnos coach Marco Hinojosa has his troops are prepared and hungry for another district crown.

“The team is staying humble and hungry,” Hinojosa said. “They know what the expectations are and everyone wants to get that district title and we want that district title and it starts tonight when we play Harlingen.”

The Falcons are entering district play on a two-game skid with loses against two state powers in San Antonio Cole and San Antonio Antonian Prep. Prior to those two loses, Los Fresnos had won nine straight.

“We have the first game at home and the kids are ready to roll,” Hinojosa said. “They are excited to get started and they know they have had a great preseason but they know that is not the goal. The goal is to win the district title and win some playoff games.”

The Falcons host the Cardinals at 6:00 p.m. tonight. Elsewhere in the district, Harlingen South will host Brownsville Rivera and San Benito will tipoff against Hanna.

On the girl’s side, Los Fresnos will host Harlingen High in the second half of the doubleheader. The Lady Falcons picked up their first district win on Tuesday against Rivera. Olivia Parra netted a game-high 18 points with Ari Gallardo, Sarahi Jones and Clarissa Esquivel finishing with 13 points apiece for the Lady Falcons.

Harlingen High, meanwhile, will look for a 3-0 district start after a convincing win over Hanna on Tuesday. The two will tip off tonight at 7:30 p.m.

San Benito will look for their first district win as they meet Hanna, and Harlingen South will look to keep pace as they host Rivera.

Harlingen South, like Harlingen High, will also shoot for a 3-0 district start. On Tuesday, Alexes Rocha led the offense with 10 points, Laura Ramirez scored nine, Alliyah Guevara and Karla Reyes each scored eight points in the win.

Santa Maria will look to extend their eight-game winning streak tonight as they travel to Lasara. The Lady Cougars are 2-0 and alone in first place in District 32-2A.

Against La Villa, Santa Maria’s Yazmin Cantu and Anahi Magdaleno scored 20 points each while Michelle Almazan netted 14 points in the win.

San Perlita, meanwhile, will look to rebound as they host rival San Isidro at 6:00 p.m. Against La Sara on Tuesday, Karime Rojas fueled the offense with 15 points and six rebounds and Meagan Kinney dished 10 points and 11 steals in the win.

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — The Harlingen High Lady Cardinals wasted no time Tuesday night, using a press defense to turn turnovers into points during a 25-point first quarter.

The start was good enough to earn an 81-54 win over Brownsville Hanna.

The Lady Cards are 2-0 in district play and travel to Los Fresnos on Friday night. The Lady Eagles are 1-1 and will shift their focus to San Benito.

Harlingen High’s press was relentless during the first quarter, and the offense followed. Alexus Coto posted a seven-point first quarter, and she drilled a 3-pointer to stretch the early lead to 11-2.

The combo of the Lady Cardinals’ defense and offense equaled a 25-6 lead after the first period.

Establishing the defense is how Harlingen High coach Ashley Moncivaiz drew it up, and she hopes the style will be the way her team sets the tone.

“Right now, I feel we are improving each game and the chemistry is getting better,” Moncivaiz said. “It is getting to a point to where our girls are getting to really know each other, and defensively we are getting better. We are moving more cohesively than before. One of the things I have been preaching to the girls at practice is us setting the tone on defense. People want to see offense, but for us the defense is what gets us going, and the offense will follow.”

Coto finished with a team-high 11 points. Avery Hinojosa finished with nine points, and Sydney Portillo, Callie Cervantes and Athena Linnartz scored eight points apiece.

Hanna’s offense settled down and answered Harlingen High’s shots during the first half, but the Lady Eagles couldn’t erase the early hole.

Odalys Gonzalez led the way with a game-high 21 points, Kate Garza netted 15 and Alexis Alvarez scored nine.

“Anytime you play Harlingen (High), you expect to see the press,” Lady Eagles coach Luis Gonzalez said. “Our girls weren’t ready for it and we fell behind early, and we had to play catchup the rest of the game. Harlingen did a great job with the press, and we struggled with it. We shot better in the second half, and the girls stepped up to the challenge. We just fell in a hole early.”

Once again, the Lady Cards are a deep club with multiple weapons at its disposal. While the returning Cervantes, Coto, Portillo, Hinojosa and Alyssa Salas have picked up where they left off, the freshman class is beginning to hit its stride.

Freshman Juli Bryant scored five points in the win and showed off her range defensively. Linnartz, also a freshman, provides a defensive presence inside along with the ability to score. The traits are adding up and beginning to take shape for the youngster.

“The speed is a big difference. It is quicker at this level,” Linnartz said. “It is much more physical, too. The more I’m on the court the more comfortable I feel, and since our second tournament I feel much more confident in my game.”

Linnartz has come on as of late and only adds to an already loaded roaster for Moncivaiz’s squad.

“She started off a little slow and kind of took her time, but the thing with Athena is she is a good asset to where she can go inside and go outside, and she can contribute in different ways,” Moncivaiz said. “She is not afraid to defend anyone, and she can score, too. She can contribute anywhere she can on the court.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — Four Harlingen South Hawks scored in double figures, led by senior Ethan Mireles, in a 69-54 win over San Perlita on Friday night.

Mireles, who netted a team-high 15 points, entered Friday night looking for answers and found them, stringing together one of his better performances on the season. Brady Bennett scored 14 points, and Ryan Fechner and Rudy Rodriguez each scored 10 points.

“Honestly, this is the most I’ve shot in a game,’ Mireles said. “The shots were just there, and I was feeling it. I knew I was on when I hit the 3 before the half. This was one of the better shooting nights I have had all year.”

South fell behind 7-2 but quickly settled in and outran the Trojans on a 13-0 run to take a 15-7 lead at the end of the first period. The second quarter lead grew to 27-13, with the Hawks outscoring the Trojans 23-14.

“We have a tendency of starting games slowly,” Mireles said. “But once we get in motion and find our groove we are good to go.”

Along with the offense came physical defense from the Hawks that caused fits for the Trojans and threw them off their rhythm during the first half.

“We try to be more physical and take over the paint,” Hawks coach Brian Molina said. “They have Tige (Johnson), but for the most part we knew we were going to be the bigger and taller team. San Perlita does a good job on scoring in transition, so our game plan was to try and get them to score in a halfcourt set and try and get as many easy buckets as we could. And Tige did a good job on blocking shots but we did a good job on attacking the boards, and that helped us out.”

The Trojans managed to answer with a stronger second half and cut the lead to 13 points late in the fourth quarter. Johnson scored a game-high 18 points and EJ Nieto finished with 16.

San Perlita wraps up non-district play and meets La Sara in its district opener Tuesday.

“Credit to South, they took us out of our rhythm in the first half,” Trojans coach Nataniel Garza said. “That was a big reason on why we didn’t shoot very well. In the second half we made some adjustments and we shot better. We pretty much matched South in the second half, and our halfcourt offense was better and we rebounded better. We fell behind early because of our rebounding and us not finding our shot.”

The Trojans will look to flip the switch Tuesday, as they will begin their quest for a third straight district title.

“We are not where we need to be right now, but like I tell the kids, ‘It’s not how you start but how you finish,’” Garza said. “We don’t want to peak too early, and I don’t think we have peaked yet. I think we need to go through these kind of games to grow as a team and get better. We are not where we need to be, but we are headed in the right direction.”

The Hawks, meanwhile, will tip off district play Jan. 17 against Brownsville Rivera.

“We have a week to prepare. This was a good measuring stick for us,” Molina said. “San Perlita will probably have a good run in the playoffs, so credit to them for playing against bigger schools. Tonight we got to work on some things. They like to get out and run, and in our district we have teams that like to run.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

HARLINGEN — With the 2020 softball season a few weeks away, Harlingen High senior Zoe Rosas secured her college future.

The senior second baseman signed to play softball at Hesston College in Hesston, Kan.

“This means a lot to me,” Rosas said. “If it wasn’t for my family I wouldn’t be here, especially my brother, because I look up to him. He always gives me advice. Also my coaches and teammates, they always knew how to push me and make me a better player and person.”

Softball is Rosas’ first sport and first love, and she grew up playing travel ball during the offseason. When she wasn’t on the field, Rosas found herself watching college softball and learning more about the game.

That is when Rosas realized she wanted to make that next step in her career.

“I was in middle school, right around sixth grade, my pitching coach and I would always watch college softball together,” she said, “ and I would watch it with my family and I just thought it was cool and I wanted to do that one day.”

On the field, Rosas is a four-year letterman and has been a utility weapon for the Lady Cardinals. She has spent time in the circle, second base and also played some outfield. This year she will play second base and is projected to bat at the top of the order.

Her freshman year, she was named District 32-6A honorable mention at second base. As a sophomore, she was second team all-district at second base, and her junior year she was named 32-6A utility player of the year for the 2019 season and swatted two grand slams.

Hesston College reached out to Rosas while she was playing at a tournament. The staff was intrigued by Rosas’ positive attitude, along with her offense. Shortly afterward, Rosas paid a visit to Hesston and felt it was the right fit.

“Everyone was so nice, and I was able to practice with the team,” Rosas said. “The team took me in and was nice to me, and told me how things were going to be and I felt in love with it there. I’m looking to play outfield or second, but wherever they want to put me I will be ready.”

With the season right around the corner, Rosas feels there is less pressure and is ready for her final season as a Lady Cardinals player.

“This is my last year with this team, and I love these girls,” she said. “I’m just ready to have a great season with them.”

One intangible that caught the eye of first-year coach Josh Silva was Rosas’ work ethic.

“Her work ethic is second to none,” Silva said. “She is an extremely hard worker and she has that multi-sport athlete mentality. She really hustles and as a new coach that is what you want in a player. And she has that leadership quality, and she is just a hard worker. That is her best quality.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

District play tips off tonight in 32-6A with defending district champion Harlingen High hosting San Benito, Harlingen South traveling to Los Fresnos and Brownsville Rivera playing at Hanna.

With an 10 team district, South’s meeting with Los Fresnos will give a leg up to the winner as both teams are projected to make the playoffs.

Last year, South went 7-3 in district play and finished second in league play behind Harlingen High, who went 10-0, Los Fresnos, meanwhile, finished 6-4.

The Lady Hawks swept the Lady Falcons in district play last year, but this year, Los Fresnos is expected to challenge South with their size and athleticism.

“Harlingen South is always a very intense team with a lot of effort,” said Los Fresnos coach Rebecca Valdez. “We need to make sure we match their intensity and execute under pressure situations. It is great to start district play with a win; it sets the tone for the rest of district play. South is a great team and beating them would be a great way to start district (season)”

The Lady Hawks are a senior-heavy club and have the pieces in play to contend for the district title. This year, South has relied on their defensive play from Allyah Guevara, Bianca Gonzalez and Julia Celis.

“It seems like district play got here quick but we have been going for the last two months,” said South coach Kelly Garrett. “It has been a long journey but this is what it has built up to — this is what it is all about.”

South hasn’t played in a game since December 31 and is itching to get back onto the court. Two senior mainstays Laura Ramirez and Karla Reyes will be key pieces on offense for the Lady Hawks.

“We have been working on our offense and working on our shooting,” Garrett said. “We have been known as a defensive team but we want to be more constant for four quarters and be able to put the ball in more on a constant basis.”

Reigning district champ Harlingen High is 20-7 and remains the favorite to win district 32-6A.

Big Red is led by their young core of Avery Hinojosa, Alexus Coto and Rosa Zapata. Harlingen High heads into district play on a two-game win streak and is 7-3 in its last 10 games.

“The key to winning our district will be staying healthy and being consistent,” said Harlingen coach Ashley Moncivaiz. “Our team is young and our players understand our system completely. We will be right in the middle of the hunt for the district title.”

District 32-2A

In district 32-2A, Santa Maria will travel to San Perlita to tipoff district play at 6:30 p.m. The Lady Cougars are 17-5 on the year and enter district play as the favorites to hoist a third straight district title. San Perlita enters league play with a 10-9 record.

The Lady Coogs are led by junior Yazmin Cantu, who is averaging 18.2 points per game. San Perlita is led by senior Meagan Kinney, who is averaging 15 points and five steals per game during her senior campaign.

San Perlita, like Santa Maria, has a majority of their team returning. Despite being just one game over the .500 mark, Lady Trojans coach Marco Mungia believes his team is on the cusp of peaking and playing well at the right time.

“Our record doesn’t indicate how well we have been playing,” Mungia said.

This year the team took on the challenge of playing bigger schools in, Brownsville Porter, Lopez, Hanna and San Benito.

“Outside of our loss against Santa Gertrudis, we have played teams tough, and up until now, I hadn’t had a complete team,” Mungia said. “I was missing girls with injuries, so I have had kids come in and fill in but I’m excited that I am going to have 100 percent of my team heading into district and I’m excited to see what happens.”

KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer

LYFORD — Brownsville Jubilee and Lyford entered their game Tuesday night with 7-0 district records.

And in its biggest game of the year, Jubilee answered the bell.

Three Lady Titans scored in double figures, led by Jazmine Gracia, who netted a game-high 18 points, and Jubilee used a strong third quarter to push past the Lady Bulldogs 63-50.

The Lady Titans are now in sole possession of first place in District 32-3A with an 8-0 record, Lyford is now in a two-way tie with Brownsville IDEA Frontier, which also is 7-1. Those teams will meet on Friday.

After a see-saw battle during the first half, a 12-2 run late in the third quarter gave the Lady Titans a 43-34 lead at the end of the period. The Lady Titans outscored the Lady Bulldogs 14-9 in the frame and amped up their press defense in the final minutes to score in transition.

“The third quarter was where the momentum shifted,” Jubilee coach Victor Venegas said. “We pressed towards the end of the third quarter, and I don’t think (Lyford) was expecting that and that allowed us to score in transition. That helped us set the tone for the fourth quarter, and the girls were able to relax.”

Jubilee’s Mariana Espinoza contributed 12 points, Julissa Garza added 11 and Alexis Robinson finished with nine.

Lyford battled back during the fourth quarter and cut the deficit to 55-49 after a Sam Delgado 3-pointer with 2:40 left to play. Later in the quarter, Robinson put the nail in the coffin with a 3 that put Jubilee ahead for good at 62-49.

“During past tournaments and games, I was hesitant with my shot,” Robinson said. “So I went home and I worked on my shot with my dad, and I wasn’t hesitant tonight and I wanted to show that tonight.”

Lyford fell behind the eight-ball early with two of its best players Kayleen May and Damaris Bermudez getting into foul trouble. Because of that, Lyford coach Teresa Gutierrez was forced to limit their minutes during the second and third quarters.

“Two of our starters were in foul trouble, and they had to sit for most of the second quarter and to start the third quarter,” Gutierrez said. “But even then I felt my subs did a good job on keeping the game close while they sat. It was a game of runs, and we couldn’t recover after they hit us with that third quarter.”

With one game left in the first half of district play, the Lady Titans next play Monte Alto. The Lady Titans are in their first year in the UIL and brimming with confidence as they head into the back half of the regular season.

“Coming into our first year in (the) UIL, this is a big win for us,” Venegas said. “We set some goals at the start of the year, and this is one of them. We wanted to come in here and play tough basketball and try to come out on top, and we knew Lyford was tough. They have a great team and a good history. We just wanted to come out and play our best.”

Lyford will meet Frontier next week for an edge in the battle for second place. A loss would drop the Lady Bulldogs to third within a one-week span.

“We play Frontier next week, so that is a big one for us,” Gutierrez said. “Tonight we just got beat to the ball, and we didn’t rebound very well. They were getting a lot of second-chance points. As far as height and physicality-wise, I felt we were better, they just had more second-chance points than we did and it killed us.”

May led the offense with 16 points, Bermudez netted six and Alyssa Garcia also finished with six for the Lady Bulldogs.