By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Sofia Espinoza and Pace got on a roll early thanks to an aggressive defensive effort against Porter.
Espinoza led the way with 28 points and the Lady Vikings piled up 29 steals in a 63-27 victory over the Cowgirls in a District 32-5A girls basketball game Friday at Pace.
“I was confident in my game,” Espinoza said. “Coach always tells us to be fast on our feet … our defense is always the main reason for when we score. We get steals and attack (the basket).”
Espinoza scored 20 of her 28 before the break and added five rebounds and three steals as Pace earned its first district win of the season (1-1 in District 32-5A). Porter (0-2) couldn’t match the offensive outburst, fell behind early and couldn’t make up the deficit.
“Sofia’s the top of that defensive press. Once we get that steal, it gets out to her and she can finish,” Pace coach Eddie Lozano said. “She has length and speed for her size, so when she can finish, that’s good for us.”
Pace came out aggressive on the defensive end, pressuring the ball and pressing every time Porter got the ball in the first quarter. The Lady Vikings used that approach to flourish on the offensive end. Jade Rodriguez started the game with a 3-pointer and Espinoza got three quick buckets as part of a 17-0 run to start the game. Mary Ann Lara ended the scoreless streak with a jumper for the Cowgirls, but they had trouble finding their rhythm offensively. Amanda Gomez hit a 3 to push the Pace lead to 20-2 and Espinoza finished with half of the team’s points in the opening quarter.
“I don’t want to make excuses … we just have a lot to learn,” Porter coach Crystal Schmalzried said.
Porter’s Katherine Salas got a bucket to start the second quarter, but Rodriguez had a put back and followed with a layup to extend the lead to 26-8. Salas hit a free throw, but Lexy Arce had back-to-back steals and assists to Espinoza as the Lady Vikings raced out to a 30-9 advantage. Espinoza added another bucket for six straight points and 10 in the quarter as Pace held a 36-11 edge at halftime.
“It started with the defense … making them turn the ball over led to fast break points,” Lozano said. “We got a lot of points off fast breaks instead of a set offense … we need that to be successful. We’ve played two tough opponents (in district) and our defense has kept us in the game.
“We got that first district win … that’s important. It all started with defense and it’s starting to come together, little by little we’re starting to get it.”
Porter found some success in the third quarter as Lara started with a jumper. After a Pace bucket, the Cowgirls went on a 5-0 run after Lara hit a free throw, Paloma Garcia hit a jumper and Salas followed with a layup to get within 38-18, but Rosa Salinas answered for the Lady Vikings with a jumper to push it back to 40-18.
In the fourth quarter, Espinoza had back-to-back buckets to extend the lead to 47-22. After Lara hit a free throw for Porter, the Lady Vikings went on a 10-0 run to put the game out of reach.
Salas led the Cowgirls with nine points and 12 rebounds; Lara and Adamari Arteaga added six points apiece. Arteaga also pulled down seven rebounds for Porter.
“We haven’t played smart basketball,” Schmalzried said. “The hustle is there, the heart is there … we just have to play smarter.”
Rodriguez and Salinas combined for 20 points, 18 rebounds and 12 steals on the night for Pace.
The Lady Vikings turned up the defensive pressure and got their first district win. They hope to maintain that momentum with a tough district game before the break.
“It takes a little pressure off, but we still have to work hard,” Lozano said. “We have Mercedes on Tuesday and that’s a big game. Hopefully we can come out with the same defensive intensity and play that way.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.