By KEVIN NARRO |Staff Writer
SAN ANTONIO —The game that was circled on the calendar year was worth the price of admission as two of the Rio Grande Valley’s top basketball programs took center stage at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
It was a little brother versus big brother affair and this time, it was the little brother who came out with the win.
San Perlita leaned on their seniors EJ Nieto who scored a game high 31 points along with teammate Tige Johnson who scored 26 points en route to an 88-76 win over Santa Rosa Friday afternoon in San Antonio.
The Trojans came out hot from the floor and hit four three pointers in the first quarter. Nieto scored 12 first-quarter points while Johnson added nine. The Trojans held a 31-21 lead after the first period.
“ I think this was one of the better shooting games we have had all year,” said Trojans coach Nataniel Garza. “We needed it; we needed to shoot the ball well especially against a team like Santa Rosa. Everyone knows who they are because of their state runs and they are well-coached. I have a lot of respect for them. I knew we needed to come out and play well and my kids came out with a purpose and came out with pride and they wanted to show what we are made of.”
The Trojans got help from senior Gabriel Lopez, who scored eight points and sophomore Ely Terry, who netted 12 points in the win.
San Perlita continued their strong shooting into the second quarter. Santa Rosa, which trailed by as many as 10 at that point, managed to settled down and get in a rhythm. David Bazaldua led the Warriors offense with 17 points, Chris Vela finished with 16 and CJ Olivarez followed with 14.
“ It was a combination of everything,” said Warriors coach Johnny Cippriano. “They shot well and we didn’t. We just did not shoot well and missed a lot of layups and when you don’t make the easy ones, the longer ones become harder to make. We missed easy shots and turned the ball over in critical times.”
For every right punch Santa Rosa threw, the Trojans had an answer and that answer was Nieto. The Warriors cut back into the lead in the third quarter and trailed by five. It was Nieto’s three-pointer that gave the Trojans a 10-point lead late in the quarter. Nieto would score 12 points in the third.
“ It was a great experience playing here at the AT&T Center,” Nieto said. The atmosphere was great and just the fact that NBA players play on this court it was amazing. It is an experience I won’t forget. When I hit the three-pointer at the buzzer to end the quarter, I knew I was feeling good and I feel this is the best we have shot all year.”
In the fourth quarter, the Trojans managed to pull away late with more timely baskets from Johnson, Terry and James Herrera, who scored six points in the win.
“ We knew Santa Rosa was going to go on a run, with our styles being similar,” Garza said. “Our focus was to make sure our run was longer than theirs, and for the most part, we were able to do so. We were up by 17 and one point then we were up by seven. I’m not surprised they went on that run but I’m proud of the boys, they stayed composed and the team stayed discipline and they did not get rattled. We got tested today by a great team and I’m proud on how we answered today.”