FREDDY GONZALEZ | Staff Writer
SAN BENITO — It was all Los Fresnos on Friday night at the San Benito gymnasium as the Lady Falcons handedly beat the Lady Greyhounds 49-37 to clinch the No. 4 seed in next week’s playoffs.
“We had our moments of looking good not great,” said Los Fresnos head coach Kim Edquist. “I told them at the half, ‘basketball is a crazy game, I don’t trust it, so you don’t trust it.’ You got to keep playing hard and we came out playing a little bit softer than I wanted to and we got a little bit of momentum.
“We had a decent lead but I kept seeing it go down and down. San Benito did a great job of adjusting at halftime.”
The Lady Falcons took an early 8-0 lead before ending the first period ahead 11-1. Lynette Duran continued the scoring trend for Los Fresnos as the junior point guard buried two three pointers to start the second quarter. The Lady Falcons went up by as many as 25 points midway through the second period, stretching the lead to 26-1.
It wasn’t until 2:40 left in the period before the Lady Greyhounds got back on the scoreboard when Jav’ana Gonzalez hit a pair of free throws making it 26-3. However, Los Fresnos stretched the lead back to 20 going into the half up 31-11.
“Defensively we played a good game,” said Edquist. “I’ve always been a defensive coach and I’ve been really disappointed in our defensive this year, but I think we’re just starting to gel right now and it’s at perfect time of the season to start.”
The Lady ’Hounds fought back in the third going on a 6-2 run to start the second half, outscoring Los Fresnos 14-11 in the period.
San Benito brought Los Fresno’s lead down to within 12 points but it was too little too late as the Lady Falcons took the final playoff spot in District 32-6A.
“We started off really really slow,” said San Benito head coach Abel Moreno Jr. “Our shots just weren’t going in and at the same time we had to deal with Los Fresnos’ aggressive play.
“We kind of buckled down in the second and got to within 12 points.”
With under three minutes left to play, senior Jav’ana Gonzalez fouled out of the game. The home crowd cheered her on as the senior scored 15 points in her final game of her high school career.
“I’ve been coaching a long time and there is nothing about Jav’ana that doesn’t impress me,” said Moreno. “She’s a fighter and she make things happen when nothings happening.
“She’s not afraid of being in that moment. She might not be the tallest, fastest or the strongest, but she is definitely the smartest and the most completive.”
Los Fresnos now faces 31-6A district champions Weslaco at 7 p.m. at Weslaco High on Monday.