By Adam Kujawski, Staff Writer
Facing a 16-point halftime deficit, the La Joya Palmview Lobos used strong second-half shooting to fight back against the Hanna Golden Eagles.
The Lobos scored 30 fourth-quarter points to force overtime and eventually earn an 86-78 win over the Eagles on Tuesday night at Hanna.
“I’m extremely proud of my boys in the regard that they were extremely resilient in the second half,” La Joya Palmview coach Andy Saenz said. “They didn’t give up, but they’re a senior ball club. I expect that.”
La Joya Palmview’s comeback included a critical 14-0 run early in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 58.
The teams traded scores down the stretch, with neither team holding more than a two-point advantage. With eight seconds remaining in the game, Hanna’s Alex Herrera made a layup to send the game into overtime.
The Lobos’ Pete Huerta wasted no time shooting his team into a commanding lead during the extra quarter. He scored nine points to close out the game, including hitting all four of his late free-throw attempts. The Lobos made 4 of 5 shot attempts and were 6 of 6 from the line during the four-minute overtime period.
“As good a first half as we played, they played the same type of second half,” Hanna coach Todd Barckoltz said. “The first half we came out strong and played good, smart basketball. We’ve got to watch the video and fix the mistakes that cost us the big lead.”
The Eagles were in control for the majority of the game and were dominant during the first half, maintaining a 37-21 lead heading into halftime.
The Lobos failed to gain an advantage underneath the basket and gave up several turnovers that the Eagles converted in transition.
The Lobos struggled to find decent scoring chances, but they changed their approach and shots began falling.
“My game plan kind of backfired on me, trying to get the ball inside in the first half,” Saenz said. “I had my guards dictate the game and the tempo the second half.”
La Joya Palmview’s Armado Alaniz scored 13 of his team’s 20 points during the third quarter, fueling the comeback.
Though Hanna continued to excel offensively, the Lobos inched their way back and turned the tide as the game wound down.
“Hopefully it’s a good sign of things to come,” Saenz said, “but we’re nowhere near where we need to be when district time rolls around.”
Huerta and teammate Orlando Munoz led all scorers with 27 and 19 points, respectively. Herrera had 16 points for the Eagles, Andrew Briseño added 14 and Andy Lopez had 11.
Each team next competes in the Edinburg tournament beginning Thursday.
Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.