By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
With less than 30 seconds to go in the first quarter, Harlingen High freshman point guard Avery Hinojosa saw Weslaco East junior guard Jamie Tanguma streaking down the floor for an uncontested layup after a Tanguma steal.
Hinojosa decided she had had enough, chased Tanguma down and swatted her layup out of bounds, setting the tone for the Lady Cardinals in a 54-25 bi-district victory Monday night.
“I ran back and I hustled, because I knew I was supposed to be safety,” Hinojosa said. “And I ran and went along the (near sideline) and went up to block her, and I got the block.”
The block ignited the crowd and the Lady Cardinals bench, and was the defensive highlight of a 20-6 first quarter in which Harlingen High coach Ashley Moncivaiz’s squad built an early lead with its suffocating full-court press.
“When you see her, a freshman, a small, little girl coming out of nowhere,” Moncivaiz said. “And she goes out there and hustles, that’s the energy that everybody likes. She goes out there does those things, and she’s not afraid to go and contest anybody.”
The Lady Wildcats, led by senior forward Katelyn Rodriguez (five points) and Rionna Garcia (four points) responded with their best quarter of the game, and Moncivaiz wasn’t content with being up 34-17 at halftime.
“They were more aggressive than we were because they were attacking the basket,” Moncivaiz said. “They were getting to the free-throw line and converting. I told (the girls) that we needed to be more aggressive and take care of the basketball. We went out there and competed in the second half, but it took us a while.”
The Lady Cardinals tightened the clamps during the second half, allowing just eight points. Hinojosa scored six of Harlingen High’s 15 bench points.
Harlingen High’s senior trio of Alyssa Cervantes (12 points), forward/center Taegan Dickey (11 points), and Ariel Leal (eight points) helped the Lady Cardinals establish a comfortable lead by getting ahead in transition.
“We always want to be aggressive and attack. If we can get it in two passes, maybe one, we want to score that fast,” Moncivaiz said. “A lot of times when we slow it down, that’s what we don’t like, and we’ll push the pace.”
In the area round, the Lady Cardinals will await the winner of Laredo Alexander and PSJA High tonight. The date and venue are still to be determined. If Laredo Alexander wins, the game will be played at a neutral site, and if PSJA High advances, a coin toss will determine the host.