By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Pace continues to find a formula to win district games like it did against Porter.
The Lady Vikings won the rebounding battle and hit nine shots from beyond the arc as they never trailed during a 61-38 victory over the Cowgirls in a District 32-5A game Friday at Pace.
Nadia Mendoza led Pace with 11 points and five rebounds, and Jessica Aguilar and Karla Garcia each had 10 points, including three 3s apiece for the Lady Vikings. Aguilar also had 10 rebounds and three steals, and Garcia scored all her points off the bench during the second half.
Pace outrebounded Porter 44-26, with several coming on the offensive side for second-chance points that made the difference for the Lady Vikings.
“After the first quarter when (Porter’s Valerie Jimenez) got a lot of rebounds, we put someone one her all the time to make sure we were getting the rebounds instead of them,” Pace coach Kris Metzmaker said. “We went to a different type of zone, we pressed, but they broke the press a couple times. Good shooting got us far enough ahead where we didn’t have to press. We played really well (Friday).”
Aguilar opened the game with a 3 and Pace took off. After a bucket by Porter’s Karla Sosa, the Lady Vikings had a 4-0 run to push the lead to 7-2. After another bucket by the Cowgirls, Pace went on a 9-0 run that included back-to-back buckets from Crystal Eureste and a 3 from Lexi Arce as the Lady Vikings took a 16-6 lead after the first quarter.
During the second quarter, Porter chipped away at the lead. Jimenez scored eight points for the Cowgirls in the frame, but Pace continued to answer. Pace had a 4-0 run early, and later a 3 from Aguilar pushed the lead to 21-12. She added another a few minutes later, and the Lady Vikings led by 11 at the break.
“We played them tough in the first half, but those 3-pointers killed us, they were hitting all over the place,” Porter coach Tony Saavedra said. “They were getting the 50-50 balls, they wanted it a little more than we did. I told the girls, ‘You relax one second, they’re going to come and get that ball from you.’”
Sosa opened the third quarter with a bucket to cut the deficit to single digits, but Valeria Varela answered off an assist from Mendoza to start a 7-0 run for Pace. The Lady Vikings received back-to-back 3s from Garcia and Kate Quezada to push the lead to 46-24, and Pace led by 19 after three.
Garcia opened the fourth quarter with another 3 to take a 50-28 lead, but Porter received back-to-back buckets from Mel Gasca and Vanessa Hernandez. Quezada hit another 3, and the Lady Vikings added some free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Varela posted seven points and 14 rebounds, and Arce and Quezada each finished with six points and combined to hit three 3s for Pace.
The Lady Vikings have been working on their shooting all season.
“Defense has always been our strong point. This year we’ve brought the shooting machine out a lot more, got a lot more opportunities during practice to work on our shots. I feel like that’s really helped us tremendously,” Metzmaker said. “We’ve been working really hard on the lost art of the one-dribble jump shot and catch and shoot. Fortunately it’s paying off for us right now.”
Despite their troubles on the boards in the district loss, Saavedra felt his team didn’t play well enough to win against Pace.
“We played a great team,” he said. “That’s why they’re second in our district. They get you from the inside and outside and with their speed.”
Gasca and Jimenez each had 10 points and combined for nine rebounds to lead the way for Porter.
Metzmaker said her team is focused on keeping their momentum going before the playoffs.
“Our saying is alone, strong, together, unstoppable, and that’s what they’re doing,” she said. “They are doing a really good job of staying together and helping each other out.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.