BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — There was enough tension and emotion before the second district meeting between Mission Veterans and Sharyland Pioneer. The Patriots’ only loss in District 31-5A competition came at the hands of one of their most contentious rivals, the Diamondbacks. Both teams have shared first place in 31-5A since the beginning of the New Year.
An unforeseen delay only added to the tension of Friday’s game.
Referees based out of Brownsville were stuck in rush-hour traffic on U.S. 83 heading toward Mission, resulting in the game tipping off 65 minutes after its previously scheduled time of 6 p.m.
“That whole delay could have thrown any other team off and I thought my girls held their composure pretty well,” Sharyland Pioneer coach Nicole Villarreal said. “I’ve put them in situations like this during practice as well. We’re up, and all of a sudden, we’re down. I need them to be re-energized and be ready to go.”
The Diamondbacks squandered a seven-point halftime lead and trailed by two at the end of three quarters. But Sharyland Pioneer found the energy to close the game out on the road late in the fourth. Pioneer swept the season series from Mission Veterans with a 42-37 victory Friday night.
The D-Backs now stand alone atop District 31-5A with the win.
“We needed to pick the defense up and switch to the man-to-man,” Mission Veterans coach Rafael Cantu Jr. said. “We needed to play with resolve, and we did. The girls were ready to carry the game plan into the third quarter and into the fourth as well. A lot of shots didn’t fall down low. We were getting all kinds of chances. If one of those shots falls late, the outcome would have been a lot different. It just didn’t fall.”
Mission Veterans forward and top scorer Jackie Howell committed two fouls in the first quarter and finished the half with four points and one made field goal. Howell came alive in the third, asserting herself in the paint with strong offensive rebounding and seven points to help boost the Patriots to a 35-33 lead heading into the fourth.
But Mission Vets (21-11, 9-2) went without a field goal in the final period and Pioneer came up with timely rebound after timely rebound.
Sharyland Pioneer guard Audry Hornaday’s biggest contribution in the fourth quarter were two free throws that gave the Diamondbacks a three-point lead with 57.5 seconds to play. Hornaday finished with a game-high 16 points.
“We rely on each other,” Hornaday said. “Before games, we always tell each other that if one of us is playing out of hand, then we can pull any of us aside and let the person know. We all have each others’ backs. We kept our composure, especially toward the end when everything was neck-to-neck and the game came down to clutch free throws.”
Hornaday is a sophomore, but she wasn’t the only standout underclassman for the Diamondbacks. Freshman Jordan Bravo nailed two 3-pointers in the first half as a part of her eight points.
“It is rare to see underclassmen play that well, but I didn’t start with that talent,” Villarreal said. “They put in the work early and often and we’re blessed to have them at Pioneer. Our post players set screens for them, so they can take the shots that they’re getting. We’re a unit. It’s not Audry or Jordan. Everybody has their role and everybody accepts their role.”
The last blow to the Patriots came with less than 30 seconds in the fourth quarter. With the Patriots trailing by three, Pioneer guard Jordan Bravo missed back-to-back free throws but senior Alicia Martinez was there for an offensive rebound and layup to seal the game for the Diamondbacks (21-13, 10-1).
All six of Martinez’s points came in the second half.
“I’m extremely proud of her because I’ve been on her,” Villarreal said. “She and Abby Jones, our other senior, kept Jackie Howell down. And Jackie is an amazing player. This is Alicia’s and Abby’s last time they’ll play (Mission) Vets. They weren’t going down without a fight.”