But starting tonight, there is no next game. It’s playoff time for girls high school basketball and a loss means you’re done for the season.
Several area teams hit the courts tonight in quest of postseason glory, including the Harlingen South Lady Hawks, who host PSJA North at 7:30 tonight in a Class 6A bi-district contest.
The Lady Hawks (22-11) enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed out of District 32-6A, while the Lady Raiders come in as the No. 2 seed out of District 31-6A.
The Lady Hawks ended the regular season with a tough loss to Harlingen High last Tuesday and now hope to rebound from the loss by getting past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
Last year the Lady Hawks lost in the opening round to a Weslaco team that advanced all the way to the regional semifinals.
The Lady Hawks are led by senior Ruayda Bouls, who is averaging 16.3 points per game along with 8.7 rebounds per game.
Also on the Class 6A playoff schedule tonight are the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons, who take on Weslaco High at 7 p.m. today in Weslaco.
The Lady Falcons had to beat San Benito in a play-in game on Friday just to make the postseason. Their reward now is a date with the District 31-5A champion Lady Panthers.
“We tweaked our defense a little bit, but we really don’t have time to change anything,” Los Fresnos coach Kim Edquist said in an interview with the Brownsville Herald on Saturday. “It’s just working on stuff that we need to do a better job on, basically.”
The Lady Falcons have come together as of late and will hope to carry the momentum of Friday’s win over to Monday.
“I think for us it’s an emotional advantage, we’re starting to finally jell as a team, playing a little bit better,” Edquist said. “When its all said and done, you can run all the Xs and Os that you want to, but if you don’t execute when its time to execute, you get beat.”
Meanwhile, in Class 3A action, the District 32-3A champion Lyford Lady Bulldogs take on Falfurrias at 6:30 tonight at Sharyland Pioneer High School. Also tonight at 6:30, the Santa Rosa Lady Warriors take on Bishop at Raymondville High School.
Bi-District action continues on Tuesday, highlighted by the District 32-6A champion Harlingen Lady Cardinals.
The Lady Cards (29-4), who breezed through the regular season with a perfect 14-0 league record, take on Weslaco East at 7:30 p.m. in Weslaco.
Harlingen has looked nearly unstoppable this season thanks to the play of juniors Sami Quilantan, who leads the team with 11.6 points per game, Marrisa Gasca, who is averaging 10.4 points, and Addison Dickey, who’s averaging 9.8 PPG.
The Lady Cards are looking to avenge a rough 2014 postseason in which they lost a 40-39 heartbreaker to Laredo United in the second round.
Also on the docket Tuesday, are the Mercedes Lady Tigers, who take on Sharyland at 7 p.m. in Mission, the La Feria Lionettes, who battle Rockport Fulton at 6 p.m. in Riviera, the Rio Hondo Lady Bobcats, who play Sinton at 7:30 p.m. in Bishop, and the Port Isabel Lady Tarpons, who take on West Oso at 8 p.m. in Riviera.
Port Isabel also played an extra game to earn the fourth seed in District 32-4A. The Lady Tarpons defeated Hidalgo 39-35 on Friday to earn their postseason berth.
“Every time we’ve played Hidalgo this year it’s been a close game,” Port Isabel coach Blake Ramsey said in an interview with the Brownsville Herald. “So to hang on in the end, for our girls to show that composure and maturity going into the playoffs, definitely gives us the momentum moving forward.”
And fortunately for PI, playing Hidalgo is like playing West Oso.
“Hidalgo has two really good shooters and West Oso is similar,” Ramsey said. “In preparation for Hidalgo, we simultaneously prepared for West Oso. I think we really have a chance, but we need to win the battle of the boards.”
Staff Writer Andrew Crum contributed to this report