BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
Despite an off night from leading scorer Janie Herrera, the Edcouch-Elsa Lady Yellowjackets withstood a second-half rally from Donna High to win Friday’s District 32-5A girls basketball play-in game 36-30.
E-E clinches the final playoff spot in 32-5A and plays Sharyland High at 6 p.m
Tuesday in Mission in a Class 5A bi-district game.
“We built a nice little cushion, but (Donna) fought back again,” first-year E-E coach Daniel Richardson said. “In the fourth quarter, they hit some big shots and closed the gap. … The energy was there, though. Everybody really kind of stepped up. We grew a lot. We had girls that really didn’t fill up any kind of stat during the year who came out and got rebounds and some key baskets.”
Herrera, who averages 13 points per game, scored just five on Friday, although Richardson says her buckets came during big moments.
The Lady Yellowjackets return to the postseason after missing the playoffs a season ago. Richardson says this year’s goal has been one of rebuilding the program.
“I told them ‘Congratulations,’” Richardson said. “They don’t really get to see me smile cheek to cheek like that. I’m a hard guy to get a smile out of, to see that type of joy.”
CLASS 4A
HIDALGO 23, RIO HONDO 18: At Rio Hondo, the Lady Pirates clinched the third seed in a District 32-4A seeding game. Hidalgo plays Rockport-Fulton in a bi-district game at 6 p.m Tuesday at Alice.
CLASS 3A
EDINBURG IDEA QUEST 43, BROWNSVILLE IDEA FRONTIER 42: At Donna, the Lady Trail Blazers clinched the second seed in District 32-3A thanks in part to an Esmer Rodriguez free throw.
Quest plays Kingsville Academy in the bi-district round at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at Texas A&M-University Kingsville.
Trailing 42-40 during the closing minutes of Friday’s seeding game at IDEA Donna, Quest’s Sharon Marrufo drew a charge to give the Lady Trail Blazers the ball. Quest scored on the ensuing possession to tie the game.
After a Frontier miss, Rodriguez was fouled on the rebound and given two free throws.
“There were three seconds left,” Quest coach Robbie Cruz said. “The first one went in and the second one rolled off the rim. She told me after the game, ‘Coach, I missed on purpose to kill the clock.’”