BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR
ROMA — On the opening night of District 31-5A action, in a packed gym at Roma High School, Rio Grande City and Roma went toe-to-toe in an instant classic.
Roma used poise and composure as the clock ticked toward zero to pick up the win 61-58 on Tuesday night in the battle of Starr Country rivals.
“It feels great,” senior guard Leonardo Alaniz said. “I feel like this win can pick up some momentum for the future. I also feel like our team has come up together chemistry-wise. I feel like we have some big aspirations for the future.”
Roma led early thanks to senior guard Noe Garza Jr., who scored eight of Roma’s first 14 points. The Gladiators led all the way through the first half of the fourth quarter.
Rio Grande City continued to chip away at the lead, though, and with just less than 4 1/2 minutes to play, the Rattlers struck. Junior guard Jaime Covarrubias saw a poorly timed pass from Roma crossing midcourt, and he jumped into the passing lane and swiped the ball. Covarrubias got his head up and saw senior center Rodrigo Nuñez streaking toward the basket. Nuñez caught the pass from Covarrubias and dropped a thunderous one-handed flush that put the Rattlers up by two, 54-52.
Half the crowd fell silent, while the other half erupted in jubilation. After the basket, Roma coach Luis Ramirez called a timeout.
“He called that timeout so we could stay composed,” Alaniz said. “Sometimes, we have to get that timeout to stay relaxed and get back into the game. I believe that timeout worked really well for us. We stayed composed, and we came out there and we played hard.”
On the ensuing Roma possession, Garza, who hadn’t scored since there were about 6 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter, was fouled and went to the line, where he hit both free throws to tie the game.
“It felt very good,” Garza said. “It was just us being us, staying calm and finding a way.”
Rio was still in the game, and the Rattlers were fighting to keep it close. But, Alaniz slammed the door shut.
With 1:52 to play, Alaniz had the ball at the top of the arc. Alaniz used a strong screen from senior center Jesus Ramirez and put up a 3-point shot. The attempt sailed off to the side, but the referee nearest the play instantly called a foul on the defender.
“I knew he was going to call the foul,” Alaniz said. “I felt the contact all the way. I just needed to know if I could drain those three free throws.”
Alaniz went to the line with his team down 55-54, facing three shots.
“All I was thinking is, ‘Make those free throws and make my city proud,’” Alaniz said. “My routine is just take a deep breath, relax and see the ball through the hole. … It was just me the ball and the rim. It felt great. There was no sense of stress or pressure.”
He sank all three.
“That was very big for us,” Garza said. “If he wouldn’t have hit all of those free throws, I don’t think we would have won this game.”
It was all Roma from there, as Rio never regained the lead.
Rio had one last chance, down two with about 15 seconds left. Nuñez got a pretty good look from 3 on the right wing. The ball rattled around the cylinder before popping back out.
The 6-foot-8 Nuñez had a monstrous game, finishing with 23 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks.
“I believe our defenders contained (Nuñez) pretty well,” Alaniz said. “Rodrigo is a great player none the less, but I feel like my big boys, they got the job done.”
Jesus Ramirez was usually in charge of guarding Nuñez, but senior forward Cesar Contreras also drew the assignment for small stretches. On one such possession, Contreras posted up Nuñez on the left block, then used a superlative pump fake and shuffle to create enough separation to score two of his 15 points.
“Cesar played excellent,” Alaniz said. “This guy, coming out with absolute amazing power. Amazing determination. I love this guy. I love playing with him. He’s one of the best players to play with.”
Alaniz finished the game with a team-high 16 points. Garza had 12 and senior guard Armando Rodriguez added nine.
For Rio, senior guard Frank Gonzalez had 12. Sophomore Aaron Marroquin, a guard, scored 11.
Roma has a veteran group, with 11 seniors and three juniors on the roster. That experience shows in the Gladiators’ camaraderie.
“I have played with these guys all my life, since I was a little youngin’,” Alaniz said. “It feels great to be my last year playing with these guys. We have a great chemistry, and I’m hoping for the best for this season.”
Both teams have gotten off to hot starts to the season and should be playoff contenders in a tough District 31-5A. Roma won round one on Tuesday night, but the teams will meet again in Rio during the second round of district play. They could even face each other once more, in the playoffs.
“Are we ready to play them again? Of course, but I’m glad we can wait until the second round of district,” Luis Ramirez said with a wry smile.
[email protected]
