BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
ALAMO — With district play still one month away, Jacklynn Flores knew Tuesday’s game carried little weight regarding long term consequences.
Still, the Mercedes junior guard felt apprehensive during the trip to PSJA Memorial High School, where the Lady Tigers faced the Lady Wolverines.
“It was a feeling that was team-wide,” Flores said. “We all wanted to come in really strong. We wanted to bring that ‘W’ home.”
The inspiration for Mercedes’ early season jitters sat on the opposing bench, in Memorial coach Marisa Guiterrez. Gutierrez was the previous girls basketball coach for the Lady Tigers before making the move to Alamo during the summer.
If nerves affected Mercedes, it rarely showed during its 31-17 win over the Lady Wolverines. The Lady Tigers (4-3) never trailed and employed a balanced offensive approach reliant on quickness.
“We have a lot of plays where we’re always moving,” Flores said. “Even though we don’t have size, we still find our ways. We create these little gaps in the defense, and we take them and score.”
Flores finished with six points. Mercedes was led in scoring by Emily Ramirez with eight. Five players scored for the Lady Tigers. Though no one developed a hot hand, each chipped in buckets as they were asked.
“I have a feeling that’s what it’s going to be like this season,” Mercedes coach Monica Meza said. “We’re going to have to get points here and there, and everyone is going to have to bring it every single game.”
The Lady Tigers opened up a 9-1 lead during the first quarter. Though Mercedes lost two posts in Summer Vento and Mere Guevara to graduation, they achieved defensive stops by forcing turnovers.
“We focus our defense at the top of the key around the guards,” Ramirez said. “We know we’re small, but we can get it done.”
Memorial’s Violet Torres and Monique De Leon were the focus of Mercedes’ attention for much of the night. The sophomore guards struggled shooting from the field and combined for just seven points. With their offensive firepower stalled, the Lady Wolverines (4-4) made only six field goals and also missed 15 of 17 free throws.
“We’re still young and we’re trying to find our way,” Gutierrez said. “The biggest thing for us right now is consistency. We missed a lot of easy looks at the basket … But we want our kids to keep shooting.”
The Lady Wolverines started four sophomores, with junior Alex Soto being the only upperclassmen.