By JOSHUA McKINNEY, Staff Writer
The pressure of stepping up from playing freshman basketball to man the point guard spot for the Rivera Raiders’ varsity basketball team wasn’t easy.
He just made it look that way.
Oscar Lozoya has been named The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro Newcomer of the Year after taking the reins as the Raiders’ (13-19, 5-9) floor general this season.
The sophomore was a big part of Rivera’s season, which saw the team contend for a playoff spot until the final week of the season.
“It was tough. It was very tough,” Lozoya said. “We were a young team and we’re going to be even better next year.”
Coach Saul Villarreal thinks Lozoya put in the right amount of time to handle the responsibility as Rivera’s point guard.
“That’s a pretty good accolade for him considering he’s a sophomore,” coach Saul Villarreal said. “It’s a great honor for him and Rivera to get an honor like that.”
Lozoya averaged 11.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in his first varsity basketball season.
The most important thing is the young guard had the opportunity to learn on the fly, which will bode well for Rivera’s playoff chances for the next two seasons.
Lozoya said his most important lesson learned is when to stop pressing for points when the Raiders are leading.
“(I learned) when to slow down the game at our pace because there were games where we had a big lead and we kept on trying to score and score,” Lozoya said. “That’s on me because I’m the point guard and in one game, a team came back because of that mistake. Those are the type of things we can correct for next year.”
Lozoya will admit assuming leadership duties while learning to play at a faster pace was challenging at times.
“Clutch moments during games where I was (playing during) the fourth quarter where we need to score or find an open pass when it comes down to the end of the game (were difficult),” he said. “Coach put the pressure on me to help.”
But his coach thinks Lozoya handled the pressures of being Rivera’s starting point guard like a veteran.
“I think he handled it very good,” Villarreal said. “He handled it with poise, handled the pressure and all the hard work we put him through in basketball practice. The leadership we gave him, he handled with poise.”
Joshua McKinney covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @joshuabvherald.