BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
ROMA — Weslaco High sophomore Maddie Ybarra didn’t score her first field goal until the final nine seconds of Fridays night’s game at Roma High School, but her late basket sealed a 39-34 victory for the Lady Panthers, who held off a resilient Lady Gladiators squad.
In the last game before the beginning of district play next week, Weslaco (18-3) was injured and undermanned. The Lady Panthers were without starting forward Megan Peralez, who sprained her ankle in a Laredo Tournament last weekend.
With the supposed loss of Weslaco’s inside presence, Roma coach Romero Rios commanded his team to take it inside early and often. Though undersized, the Lady Panthers limited Roma’s points in the paint with scrappy guard play and physical man defense.
“We were just putting good pressure on the ball,” Weslaco guard Angela Villarreal said. “We kept our hands in their face and made sure they didn’t get a clean look at the basket.”
The Lady Panthers had better luck than Roma in terms attacking the rim in the early going, but couldn’t convert on several easy layups. Amy Garcia missed seven of her eight attempts under the basket, and sat out the entire second half with an illness.
Villarreal lost her touch at the rim as the game progressed. While the senior scored 10 points in the first half on 5 of 10 shooting, she made just one field goal the rest of the game and finished just 6 of 17 from the field.
“I think it’s just lack of focus and lack of preparation on our part,” Fino said of the team’s struggle inside. “There’s really just no excuses. We need to put it together and we need to real quick.”
Villarreal led all scorers with 15 points in addition to six steals, four rebounds and an assist.
“This should have been a better win for us,” Villarreal said. “We just came out flat tonight.”
The Lady Panther’s inability to convert gimme buckets coupled with Roma’s 37-29 advantage on the glass allowed the Lady Gladiators to hang around. Though Roma (10-6) trailed by as many as 11 in the second half, the team scored 14 points in the final quarter to cut Weslaco’s lead to just two points with three minutes remaining.
“We were missing little assignments here and there,” Fino said of her team’s inability to close. “But ultimately, in the fourth quarter, we just had a brain fart, and we can’t do that.”
Senior guard Kassandra Rocha led the rally for the Lady Gladiators, scoring eight fourth quarter points while going 4 of 5 from the foul line.
“We gave (Rocha) better looks,” Rios said. “We spread the floor for her and got her more involved. We tried to find the gaps in (Weslaco’s) defense, and we gave her the ball when we did.”
On the night as a whole, Rocha couldn’t find her shooting touch and finished with 10 points on 3 of 15 shooting.
Though the Lady Gladiators trailed 37-34 with 20 seconds left in the game, Roma’s luck ran out on missed layups and a no call on contact between Annette Jasso and Weslaco’s Ashely Gonzalez who were fighting for a rebound.
“The referee called it like he saw it,” Rios said. “I didn’t see the play.”
Despite the close win, Fino is unsatisfied.
“I’m glad we were in this position because I know what this team needs,” Fino said. “(We need) a leader, someone who can step up and have the ball in their hands when it matters.”
Roma will begin District 31-5A play at Tuesday at home against Rio Grande City. That same day, Weslaco will start its tour through District 31-6A play by hosting PSJA North.