EDINBURG — District title races and playoff positioning will be determined during the next week as boys high school basketball enters the final stretch of the regular season.
In District 31-6A, three teams — Edinburg High, Edinburg North and La Joya High — have a shot at winning the district championship with two games remaining.
The Coyotes (24-11, 7-1) are in the driver’s seat entering tonight’s pivotal game against the Cougars (22-15, 6-2), scheduled for 7:30 at Edinburg North High School.
La Joya holds an edge thanks to a 53-52 victory over Edinburg North on Jan. 24 in La Joya. A Coyotes win guarantees them at least a share of the 31-6A title and knocks the Cougars out of contention, while a loss potentially creates a tri-district champion scenario.
The Bobcats (23-10, 6-2) are tied for second with the Cougars after splitting their head-to-head matchups 1-1. Edinburg High’s final two games are against Mission High and Edinburg Economedes.
SAN BENITO ROLLING
San Benito’s perfect record in District 32-6A remains intact entering the final two games of the regular season. The Greyhounds have won a share of the 32-6A title and have a chance to win it outright with a victory against Brownsville Hanna at 7:30 p.m. Friday at San Benito High School. San Benito defeated Brownsville Hanna 52-49 in their first matchup Jan. 24.
An outright district championship would be San Benito’s first since the 1960s.
The Greyhounds wrap up the regular season against Brownsville Rivera (7-19, 1-7) on Tuesday.
SABERCATS CLINCH
Edinburg Vela has already clinched a share of the District 31-5A championship after an impressive 15-1 run through league play.
The SaberCats (23-12, 15-1) lost their first meeting against Sharyland Pioneer, but bounced back with a big 75-49 win over the Diamondbacks in their second meeting last Friday. Sophomore guard JP Olivarez led Vela with 26 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
| Edinburg Vela’s JP Olivarez (3) attempts a basket against PSJA North in a District 31-5A game at PSJA North High School on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez |
After a matchup with PSJA Southwest tonight, Edinburg Vela will close the regular season against a strong McAllen Memorial team that has only lost six games all season.
If the SaberCats defeat the Javelinas tonight, they’ll capture a second consecutive district championship outright. The Mustangs (25-6, 13-3) need Vela to lose against Southwest tonight to keep their shot at a co-championship alive.
TRAILBLAZERS NEED ONE MORE
Edinburg IDEA Quest is one win away from clinching its first district title in program history.
Standing in the Trailblazers’ way is defending 31-3A champion North Mission IDEA.
Edinburg IDEA Quest has put together a 21-4 record and a 14-1 mark in district play.
| Edinburg IDEA Quest Basketball leads District 31-3A with two weeks left in the season. Courtesy Photo |
Senior guard Jeffrey Nguyen is the team’s leading scorer with 20.7 points per game. Miguel Carmona is putting up 10.3 points, and Diego Alaniz and Christian Jung are averaging 9.3 and 9.0 points per game, respectively.
Tipoff between Edinburg IDEA Quest and North Mission IDEA is slated for 7 tonight at North Mission IDEA in Mission.
TOUGH TEST ON DECK
San Perlita’s lone district loss came on the road against McMullen County — the No. 3 team in the state according to the latest Texas Association of Basketball Coaches rankings — by a score of 66-61 on Jan. 20.
The Trojans (17-15, 7-1) will have a chance at some get back as they host McMullen County (30-2, 8-0) at 6 p.m. tonight at San Perlita High School.