By STEFAN MODRICH, Staff Writer
RIO GRANDE CITY — Harlingen High rallied from a double-digit deficit to set up Emery Scoogins with a chance to force overtime against Laredo United South during the closing seconds of their area-round game Friday in Rio Grande City.
But Scoogins’ 3-point shot glanced off the glass and the rim, and the Panthers prevailed 41-38 to advance to the third round of the playoffs.
It was Harlingen High coach Ashley Moncivaiz’s second postseason loss — and fourth overall — against Laredo United South in six years as coach of the Lady Cardinals (30-8, 10-0 District 32-6A).
But with only one senior on each team’s roster, Friday’s clash figures to be the first of many high-caliber battles in the coming years between Moncivaiz and her counterpart, Laredo United South coach Leopoldo Guardiola.
“We’re a team that’s loaded with talent and skill,” Guardiola said. “And we’re young. … All in all, it was a tough win to get through. The playoffs are tough, and every game’s going to get harder. We grew today.”
The Lady Panthers led 10-8 at the end of the first quarter, and Harlingen High obtained its first lead for a brief period of the second quarter, when Rosa Zapata fed Juli Bryant for an easy layup with 6:33 to play to go up 12-10.
Dezerae DeLaGarza led the way for Laredo United South with 18 points, 11 of which came during the first half. She made three 3s, the last of which came from the top of the key following a timeout with 3:03 to play that put the Lady Panthers up 20-12.
The Lady Cardinals were plagued by turnovers and missed several open looks that contributed to the double-digit deficit they faced at the end of the first half.
The Lady Panthers led 24-12 at the half, outscoring Harlingen High 14-4 during the second period.
Laredo United South’s length and active hands gave them an edge on the defensive end, disrupting the flow of the Lady Cardinals’ offense.
Callie Cervantes (12 points) and Juli Bryant (nine points) sparked Harlingen High’s second-half comeback, outscoring the Lady Panthers 17-7 in the third quarter.
“I told them at halftime that we weren’t playing together,” Moncivaiz said. “We were standing and watching, expecting other people to do their job, instead of trusting (each other) and playing as a team.”
Cervantes was 8-for-8 from the free throw line during the second half, and the Lady Cardinals shot 67 percent from the charity stripe (11-for-16), up from 50 percent on 4 of 8 from the line in the first half.
“I told my kids (after the game) I was proud of them, and they can’t be mad,” Moncivaiz said. “In the third quarter, we started three freshmen, one sophomore and one junior. And you saw the energy from them.”
With the game tied at 33, Laylhn Badiuru put the Lady Cardinals in front with 5:11 to go, putting back a miss from Sydney Portillo to give Harlingen High its first edge of the second half.
But it was short-lived, as DeLaGarza sent the Lady Panthers in front with 4:10 to play, making both of her free throws to go up 37-35. Cervantes was perfect again from the charity stripe to knot the game at 37 with 2:40 left, but Harlingen High never led again.
“We created some turnovers, and we didn’t finish some easy shots at the end,” Moncivaiz said. “We did get to the line, we did make some shots, but we turned over the ball, and that was one of the things that hurt us.”
Laredo United South’s Angelina Lopez drove through the lane for an uncontested layup and a 39-37 edge with 1:30 left, the last made field goal attempt of the contest.
DeLaGarza and Millie Hernandez sealed the game at the free throw line, with Hernandez providing the crucial final point that forced Harlingen High to attempt a 3 to try to send the game to overtime.
Hernandez finished with seven points for Laredo United South. Avery Hinojosa had eight points for the Lady Cardinals.
The Lady Panthers advance to the regional quarterfinal round to face Edinburg High, which defeated Laredo Alexander 56-44 on Friday.