BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — Tuesday’s game against La Joya Palmview marked Jovanni Solis’ first start for McAllen Rowe, but coach Raul Vega didn’t make it a spectacle or deviate from his pre-game routine. Before the Lady Warriors faced the Lady Lobos, his message was for the entire roster as opposed to singling out sophomore guard.
“He just told us that we really had to get this win,” senior post Mayda Garcia said. “He said if we got this win, we’d be in good position in the district.”
Then consider the Lady Warriors’ standing pristine. Thanks to Solis’ game-high 15 points, Rowe dispatched the Lady Lobos 44-34 and improved to a 5-0 in District 30-6A. With the victory, the Lady Warriors are in control of their aspiration for back-to-back district titles.
Employing a balanced roster composed of size, guard play, depth, rebounding, defense and outside shooting, Rowe received scoring contributions from six of the eight players to see the court.
Though Palmview held a 9-8 advantage after the first quarter, the second quarter proved the evening’s biggest difference maker. Rowe outscored the Lady Lobos 16-7 and saw five players collect baskets, including Garcia, who scored four of her 10 points.
“(Palmview) was really focusing on Mayda, trying to take her away,” Vega said. “So we had to move the ball elsewhere there for a little while. Thankfully our guard play stepped up for us in the first half.”
Along with Solis, teammates Deanna Spear and Victoria Tarbutton scored 15 of Rowe’s 24 first-half points.
Similar production was exhibited by guards from Palmview (16-8, 3-2) for much of the night. Senior Samantha Gutierrez and freshman Renee Flores each chipped in 13 points and carried the bulk of the offensive load. The rest of the team, however, contributed just eight points.
And though the Lady Lobos controlled the glass — Cyndar Magallon hauled in 18 boards — acquiring second chance points proved difficult. Ditto controlling the ball during the second half.
Lack of an inside game along with turnovers never allowed Palmview’s offense to gel.
“You can’t play like we did and hope to beat a team like Rowe,” Palmview coach Anisa Reyna said. “You have to bring your ‘A’ game against them. I saw some things I liked from our side. We played well for certain stretches, but we shot ourselves in the foot a lot.”
As the Lady Lobos succumbed to inefficient play and Rowe’s defensive presence, the Lady Warriors by and large looked like an experienced team on a mission.
“We played well together last year,” Garcia said. “But now that everyone is back, there’s an extra level of knowledge there. We’re playing at a pretty high level, we just have to keep this intensity and the wins will keep coming.”