McALLEN — The McAllen Rowe Warriors entered the 2022 campaign with high hopes, fresh off their first district title since 2016.
The start to their title defense Tuesday wasn’t pretty, deadlocked at 7 with McAllen High after a physical first quarter.
The Warriors shook off the slow start and erupted for 24 points during the second en route to a dominating 56-37 victory over the Bulldogs in their District 31-5A opener at the McAllen High Gym.
“I think during that first quarter they were kind of physical, so we started settling for shots,” McAllen Rowe head coach Alex Robles said. “In between the quarters I told them to look for the gaps, attack, move the ball quickly and get them out of position. I told them to make the right read and everything else would take care of themselves, and I think that is what happened during that second quarter.”
McAllen Rowe senior Yulissa Yebra dominated the contest from start to finish for the Warriors, scoring a game-high 25 points.
She helped put the final touches on the Warriors’ victory, going on a personal 9-0 run to make it 54-33 midway through the fourth.
“We came in a little slow, but we pulled it off in the end,” Yebra said. “We were all ready for this game. It’s a rivalry game so it was fun. We had fun. It was just about playing sound defense and looking for each other down low.”
McAllen Rowe sophomore Alyssa Cantu came up big during the Warriors’ 24-9 second-quarter run, scoring 11 of her 15 points during the period.
Cantu, The Monitor’s 2022 All-Area Girls Basketball Newcomer of the Year, did most of her damage from beyond the arc, hitting three 3-pointers.
“She has figured out to be more consistent this year,” Robles said. “With that and moving her to the point guard this year, she has adapted really well. She knows exactly when to take her shots and how to set up her teammates. Little by little through each game she is learning, and her confidence continues to build each game.”
Lexine Solis led the Bulldogs with 15 points , including three 3-pointers. Junior Lola Mallard added 12 points.
The Warriors move to 1-0 in District 31-5A with the win, extending their district winning streak to 15 dating back to last year. Their last district loss came Feb. 5, 2021, against McAllen High.
The Warriors (9-7, 1-0) continue district play at 7:30 p.m. Friday, hosting Sharyland Pioneer (9-9, 1-0) at the McAllen Rowe Gym. The Bulldogs (6-10, 0-1) look to bounce back against PSJA North at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
“Tonight is big,” Robles said. “A lot of people are looking at our record, but we went to a lot of out-of-town tournaments to prepare us for this year. We had a lot of young pieces that are playing, and we wanted them to get experience heading into district play. That is what helped us today. … I’m just hoping we can continue to build off of this during district season because it is going to be a long one. It is going to be a marathon.”