BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
ALAMO — Mission Veterans lost to city rival Sharyland Pioneer by five points in an adrenaline-packed home game Jan. 24.
The win gave the Diamondbacks a leg up in their race to clinching the District 31-5A title outright, a goal the Patriots had its sights set on at the beginning of the year.
“After the (Sharyland) Pioneer game, coach (Rafael Cantu Jr.) told us that it wasn’t the end of the world that we lost to Pioneer,” Mission Veterans forward Jackie Howell said. “We still have a game to go, but we need to start thinking about the playoffs and get as many wins there as we can. Getting ready for the playoffs is now our goal.”
The Patriots (23-11, 11-2) appear to be back on track this week, first garnering a 21-point win against Sharyland High on Tuesday to pair along with a dominating 47-28 victory at PSJA Memorial on Friday night.
Howell (13 points) along with guards Kaylee Flores (15 points) and Ronnie Cantu (11 points) carried the Patriot offense. All three players were averaging 10 points or more per game heading into Friday.
“We came in expecting a tough game,” Cantu Jr. said. “(PSJA Memorial) Coach (Marissa) Gutierrez always has her girls playing an intense style of defense, and we had to match up with it by being aggressive ourselves offensively. We came out ready to play. I knew how good we had to be on defense as we head toward the playoffs. It was a great effort from our team.”
Howell matched up with PSJA Memorial center Victoria Gonzalez, a towering figure at 5-foot-11. Howell had to find creative ways to score against and guard the junior.
“It’s difficult when there’s a height difference because you’re used to going up against someone being the same height as you or shorter,” Howell said. “You have to be smart to make a move, pass it off and look for someone else. She (Gonzalez) does a good job of keeping her distance, too, so you can’t just get the ball and drive.”
The Patriots’ frontcourt held Gonzalez to 13 points on Friday.
“When Jackie’s locked in, she’s so tough,” Cantu Jr. said. “She’s athletic, fast and strong. When she’s locked in on stopping her man with great defense, she’s outstanding. We needed to have that inside presence from Jackie and Lily Gonzalez. Lily, our other post, stepped up as well. To be the best we can be, we have to be balanced. We were pretty balanced today.”
The Wolverines (21-14, 8-5) were without an important piece on the floor, but Gutierrez doesn’t see that as an excuse of how the team played.
“The effort wasn’t there for us tonight,” Gutierrez said. “Debbie Martinez, one of our key defensive players, was out with a sprained ankle. She sets the tone for us, defensively and offensively. It hurts not to have her on the court, but we still had a job to do tonight and we didn’t do it.”
Through Friday’s results, the win locks in Mission Veterans as the No. 2 seed in District 31-5A, which would set the Patriots up for a bi-district matchup with Donna High, the likely No. 3 seed from District 32-5A.
PSJA Memorial losing, coupled with Rio Grande City defeating La Joya Palmview on Friday now ties the Wolverines and Rattlers for third place at 8-5 apiece. The No. 3 seed from District 31-5A would likely face Brownsville Veterans, the odds-on favorite to nail down the No. 2 seed in 32-5A.