SAN BENITO — Edinburg High has now won three straight games against District 32-6A competition as the beginning of district play looms for the Rio Grande Valley’s Class 6A teams.
The District 31-6A Bobcats picked up a 54-50 road win over the San Benito Greyhounds, a potential bi-district opponent, Wednesday afternoon.
“This game for both of our programs is big,” Edinburg High head coach John Salinas said. “Coming off the Christmas break, a lot of our girls are out of game shape. So just getting out of the five-day holiday restriction and to get a game like this, that goes down to the wire, is what you want out of non-district games.”
The Bobcats beat Weslaco High, Los Fresnos and now San Benito in December. They have amassed a 17-7 record.
“We have played some really tough competition,” Salinas said. “We have two non-district games coming up with Hanna and Rivera and then we are right into district play. Can’t complain, we are still fairly young, if you want to say and we are looking forward to district play.”
Edinburg High might be young, but it is experienced as it returns three of its top scorers from the previous season, a campaign in which the Bobcats won 30 games, including a bi-district playoff game.
Emily Carranco, Kimora Fagan and Madison Martinez are all juniors now, and still leading the team in scoring.
Carranco, averaging 13.8 points per game coming into the game against San Benito, nailed two free-throws to put the Bobcats up by four with only three seconds left.
“I just knew I had to sink them,” Carranco said. “This season I have not been doing good on my free-throws, but I just had to concentrate and try to seal the game.”
Fagan, Carranco, Martinez and senior Lucero Jimenez went a combined 10-for-13 from the line in the fourth quarter and picked up offensive rebounds after missing freebies for extra possessions.
Carranco led the Bobcats in scoring with 18 points, Fagan close behind with 16 and Martinez chipped in with 11 points, including three 3-pointers to beat a San Benito team that won 16 of its last 18 games entering Wednesday.
“Long season,” Carranco said. “Especially with only 10 district games, but all the girls, are just fun being around, it is a good season so far.”
Edinburg High hosts Brownsville Hanna at 2:30 p.m. Friday in its next outing.
It is hard to be happy about a loss, but there was a silver lining for the San Benito Greyhounds after the defeat.
The Greyhounds competed against the Bobcats in a potential bi-district playoff meeting, and for that, San Benito head coach Abel Moreno was pleased.
“They played playoff basketball,” Moreno said. “They played the way that I thought they should be playing. I was not sure they would, though.”
Despite winning 16 of their last 18 games, the Greyhounds entered the game against the Bobcats following a five-day break and some poor shooting performances, Moreno said.
“I was scared for that, but they stepped up,” he said.
Junior Angelina Reyes led the Greyhounds with a game-high 23 points. Fellow junior Jasmin Martinez finished with 14 points.
“Angie Reyes is a heck of an athlete,” Salinas said. “San Benito is blessed to have a girl like that on the team. It is always good to see what they can do. When we look forward to February, playing in the playoffs, we have a better idea of who is who on these teams.”
San Benito (17-8) faces another District 31-6A opponent when they travel to PSJA High to take on the Bears at 2:30 p.m. Friday. It will be the Greyhounds’ final non-district game of the season.
The Greyhounds begin district against Brownsville Hanna at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6.