By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — With the playoffs already a certainty for Edinburg Vela and Sharyland High, the only thing left to be determined Friday was the district-title winner.
That remains a lingering question now heading into the final day of the regular season, after Sharyland High put together a furious second-half rally to win 55-45.
The Rattlers (27-5, 10-1) evened the season series at one game apiece, drawing a two-way tie for first place with Vela (26-6, 10-1). The SaberCats had an opportunity to clinch the district title outright. Now, both teams will have to decide that with their respective games Tuesday.
“It means a lot,” Sharyland’s Andres Cantu said. “Vela’s one of the best teams, not only in the Valley but in the region. So it gives us a lot of confidence pulling out a 10-point win against them, and it gives is a lot of confidence going into the playoffs.”
The postseason is another matter for Sharyland, which does not yet know its opponent or seed. (Those details should be available after the Rattlers take on Mission Veterans and Edinburg Vela hosts Roma.)
Their focus, for now, is on Tuesday. A win by both Sharyland and Vela on Tuesday would result in both teams finishing first in district, and more than likely a seeding game to determine the first- and second-place teams.
The Rattlers can be thanked for that dramatic ending, after outscoring Vela 31-10 during the second half on the strength of Patrick De La Torre (16 points) and Jose De La Garza (12 points), who combined to score 16 points after the break.
It was a wild turn of events from the opening half, when Vela drilled seven 3-pointers, including five during the second period, to build a 35-24 lead.
It was the hot shooting of Ryan Garza (15 points) that helped the SaberCats get there. Garza hit three 3s by halftime. Jimmy Cisneros (six points) had two. And Chris Enriquez (three points) and Hector Ruiz (nine points) had one apiece.
But the second half was a different matter. Garza was reduced to just two points altogether after the break and his team failed to hit another shot from behind the arc.
“I really think in the second half we couldn’t buy a bucket,” Vela coach Lalo Rios said. “We had good shots, good looks, and everything that seemed to go in the first half didn’t go in the second half.
“I think it was just momentum. Their momentum in the third quarter carried them into the fourth.”
The Rattlers were anchored just as much by their defense as anything else. They outscored Vela 14-4 during the third quarter and broke through a 41-41 tie with 6:21 left to play by closing out the game on a 13-4 run.
“We said if we could get the third (quarter), we’ll let the fourth take care of itself,” Sharyland coach David Keith said.
It did, and now the Rattlers and SaberCats will have plenty to play for on Tuesday.
“This is a tough district, obviously” Rios said after his team endured their first district loss of the season. “No team is safe. We’re very fortunate to still have a chance to make the playoffs and hopefully get a district title.”