BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS
STAFF WRITER
GRULLA — Just after halftime, Grulla went on an 11-5 run to pull within 14 points. Rio Grande City coach Homer Garr called a timeout and spoke to his kids.
“After the timeout he told us we needed to get our heads straight and focus on what is best for the team,” junior center Rodrigo Nuñez said.
After the timeout, junior guard Frank Gonzalez hit a 3, and Rio Grande City never looked back. The Rattlers (5-1) beat the Gators (3-2) 66-48 on Monday night.
“We did good as a team,” freshman guard Aaron Marroquin said. “We were passing and cutting. We showed hustle, diving for the balls and it worked. We made our shots.”
Rio Grande City used 8 3-pointers to build a lead and stay ahead for the entire game. They found open looks by moving the ball around and passing.
“We are not really a 3-point shooting team,” Garr said. “We are a fast-break, move it, share it type of team. But, we have a few guys who can shoot, so I expect us to make some threes.”
The Rattlers having Nunez, who is 6-foot-8, in the low post posed plenty of matchup issues for Grulla. The Gators got in foul trouble early, many of the fouls coming from the player guarding Nunez.
“Today the team played great,” Nunez said. “But, I don’t think I played to my full potential. I know I can do better.”
Nunez finished the game with eight points.
Marroquin had 10 points, including 2 triples. Senior guard Hiram Rivera added 12, with 3 threes. Marroquin and Rivera got the Rattlers rolling early with a combined 14 first-half points.
Junior forward Demencio Venecia contributed 10 points for the Rattlers.
The Rattlers will play in this weekend’s tournament hosted by Mission Veterans Memorial.
“We are getting better,” Garr said. “We played pretty well in the Brownsville tournament. We have the talent, no question about that, and Rodrigo is pretty darn big. So, as we get better and play more, we will progress.”
For Grulla coach Abram Gonzalez, the game was evidence of the team’s current situation.
“We have already played five games, and we haven’t practiced yet,” Gonzalez said. “We just had a playoff (football) game on Friday. So, we just got some of those kids in. Some of those kids made it into the tournament on Saturday. But, as you can see, we don’t have the legs, right now, to get up and down the court.”
The Gators have several players from the football team who saw limited minutes Monday, but figure to be a key part of the team as the season progresses.
Senior guard Dustin Zarate led the way for the Gators with 24 points, 22 of which came in the second half. Junior Forward Tony Cardenas added 8 points and junior guard Michael Maldonado finished with 6 points.
The Gators have more than a week off before they visit Mercedes at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 29.