By JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
With a 43-35 win over Weslaco East on Tuesday, the Edinburg North Lady Cougars earned their third consecutive win and pulled themselves back from the brink of postseason elimination.
The win creates a tie with Weslaco East for the fourth and final playoff spot in District 31-6A with five games remaining in the regular season.
Edinburg North, a balanced team in terms of size and skill set, tumbled to an 0-4 start to begin its tour through a highly competitive district. Weslaco High, PSJA North and Edinburg High are all featured in this week’s RGVSports.com Top 10 poll.
Teetering on the edge of the playoffs, the Lady Cougars (16-13, 3-4) have rounded into form with a mixture of mental toughness and rediscovered offensive potency.
“Our shooting percentages have gone up tremendously,” Edinburg North coach Jenny Rae Garcia said. “We’ve got more girls stepping up, playing more aggressively and giving us great ball movement to create better shots. … The girls are finally starting to believe in themselves and the team. It’s a big confidence-booster.”
The Lady Cougars were led in scoring Tuesday by Klarissa Lopez with 11 points. Lopez, a knock-down shooter and fierce driver in the paint, is the leading scorer for an offensive unit predicated on balance. Lopez averages 10 points per game while teammate Tiffany Chapa averages just over nine.
Edinburg North travels to PSJA North on Friday looking to even the season series with the Lady Raiders, who won the last meeting 71-65.
“The defense needs to step up,” Garcia said. “Last time we played them was (guard Sarah Serrano’s) first game back. She went off for 20 points as did Belle (Palacios). Those two were dominant players. We have a really good chance if we make sure we know where their man is and put a hand in their face.”
CLOSE COMPETITION
After Tuesday’s open game, the Mission Veterans Lady Patriots begin Round 2 of district play with a home date against Sharyland High. The last time the teams met on Dec. 18, the Lady Rattlers edged Mission Vets 49-45.
Closes contests have been a constant for the Lady Patriots throughout their District 31-5A schedule. After their would-be upset against Sharyland failed, they would fall to Roma by three and lose to Edinburg Vela by four. Such missed opportunities have left Mission Vets with a 3-3 district record and on the outside looking in on the postseason.
“It says a lot about this district. It’s tough,” Mission Vets coach Rafael Cantu said. “What can you tell the kids? They came in and had a good practice Saturday. You just have to forget about it and just keep going. We’ve issued a challenge to them. It’s how you finish the season. We still have a lot to play for, and we’re going to keep fighting.”
Cantu says he’s been stressing the finer elements to his team in order to build confidence with the ball for the crucial stretches of what are going to be crucial games.
“There will be critical situations when you have to have that basket, have to have that loose ball,” Cantu said. “You just have to find a way. … We feel we’re just as good as anybody. We’re just trying to get past that little hump. We’re trying to get them to understand that we’re just as good as anybody.”
CLOSE AT THE TOP
With seven games remaining in District 32-4A, one game separates the top four teams in the standings. Zapata holds the top spot with a 7-1 district record while Hidalgo, La Feria and Rio Hondo are in a three-way tie for second at 6-2.