TJ GARCIA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
McALLEN — McAllen Rowe held La Joya Juarez-Lincoln to just two third-quarter field goals, using stifling defense to claim a 54-46 District 30-6A victory Saturday afternoon.
Behind 6-foot-1 sophomore Derek Luna and 6-foot-2 sophomore Darrin Everage, the Warriors hassled the Huskies into seven turnovers, blocked four shots and outscored them 12-4 in the third quarter, including an 8-0 run to start the second half. Luna led Rowe with 18 points, and Everage did a little of everything with six points, nine rebounds, five blocks and five steals.
The district-opening win lifts Rowe to 1-0 in 30-6A (10-8 overall) and drops Juarez Lincoln to 0-1 and 12-6 overall.
Rowe coach Jose Yebra said the Warriors recommitted themselves to playing hard-nosed defense and limiting the Huskies shooting opportunities during the second half.
“We were able to put more pressure on the point guard, and I don’t think they saw the same look they saw in the first half,” Yebra said. “They are a good shooting team, and we respect that. We knew we needed to play good defense to beat them, and I think our kids did that in the second half.”
The Huskies, a senior-laden team, have been one of the Valley’s pleasant surprises early in the season. Behind accurate 3-point shooting and crisp passing, Juarez-Lincoln has scored some quality victories so far this year. Early in the game versus Rowe, Juarez-Lincoln looked capable of earning an important upset win on the road.
Rowe was still very much in the game at halftime, trailing 29-28, but Juarez-Lincoln hit five treys in the first half — most of which were uncontested — playing an inside-out game that out-quicked Rowe defenders to generate looks from beyond the 3-point arc.
That all changed after intermission. Juarez-Lincoln, led by Cruz Mendoza’s 11 points, went 2 of 9 from the floor in the third quarter and turned the ball over seven times. The Huskies offense improved slightly in the fourth, but Rowe’s defense continued beating shooters to their spots. On offense, the Warriors’ superior ballhandling skills were too much for the Huskies.
Luna frequently sliced through Juarez-Lincoln defenders for layups or trips to foul line. Luna said he felt good about his shot but added that the difference in the game was his team’s defense, which forced 14 Huskies turnovers and blocked 10 shots. Although 6-foot-1 is not particularly tall on the hardwood, Luna and the 6-foot-2 Everage were at least 3 to 4 inches taller than the Huskies’ biggest player.
The Huskies’ Luis Garza, a post with excellent footwork and court positioning, came into the day averaging nearly 15 points per game. But he had a cold shooting night and was matched against the taller Everage.
“I knew he was good offensively, and that he has moves, and that he can get around you,” Everage said. “But the main focus I had was to front him, take away him getting the ball. And the times I did get behind him, I just stayed solid and got my hands up.”
Gabriel Bautista added 13 points for the Warriors and hit three 3-pointers. Freshman Luis Yebra added 10 points for Rowe. Meanwhile, J.R. Galvan had 10 for Juarez-Lincoln.