FREDDY GONZALEZ | Valley Morning Star
On Tuesday the Santa Maria Lady Cougars extended their win streak to five after impressively defeating Lasara 62-16 in District 32-2A. The win propelled the Lady Cougars to an astounding 21-2 overall and 3-0 in league action.
In the game Byanca Cantu led the team with 17 points and seven steals. Meanwhile, teammate Yasmin Cantu followed just behind with 14 points 16 rebounds and five blocks. Keana Ortiz had 10 points and eight assists while Marleen Carron added nine points in the contest.
“Our team is coming along fairly well,” said Santa Maria head coach Andrew Sierra. “We have a goal in mind and we are working hard at it one game at a time.”
One goal that the Lady Cougars have achieved relatively quickly is getting recognized. As of Monday, the Texas Girls Coaches Association 2017 Basketball Poll ranked Santa Maria at No. 15 in the state.
However, Coach Sierra insists that the rankings will not change the team’s mindset moving forward.
“We celebrate our successes but stay humble,” said Sierra. “We know we have to work hard everyday to stay successful and that’s something I preach to the girls. That’s also where our slogan “MOE: Matter of Effort” comes into play.”
The Lady Cougars continue their district schedule against La Villa on Friday at home at 6 pm.
OFF THE MARK: Two teams looking to rebound after devastating losses are San Benito and La Feria.
The Lady Hounds suffered their second consecutive loss on Tuesday just a week after defeating Weslaco on a buzzer-beater. On Tuesday, San Benito came up short to Los Fresnos 49-39 and fell to 6-2 in District 32-6A.
With the loss, the Lady Hounds fell one game behind district leaders Harlingen and Weslaco.
Up next, San Benito will look to rebound against Brownsville Rivera.
Meanwhile, La Feria lost some players to injury and the loss was reflected on the scoreboard in their 55-10 loss to Hidalgo on Tuesday. The loss was the second for the Lionettes who now look to rebound at Port Isabel on Friday.