BY NATE KOTISSO | THE MONITOR
The stakes were at elevated levels when Weslaco High and San Benito met on Jan. 9, and they’re bound to reach new heights when the teams meet for the second time tonight.
In the first meeting, the Greyhounds took advantage of a 15-6 run during the final quarter, capped off by a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Mikayla Garcia, to knock off the Panthers 49-46.
“The biggest thing was that our big dogs didn’t step up that game,” Weslaco High coach Griselda Fino said. “In that situation there, our big dogs went and hid in their kennels. We fell apart at the end, and we had no one to blame but ourselves.”
Since dropping the game to San Benito, Weslaco High is riding a six-game winning streak. Fino said the defeat was the wake-up call her team needed.
“I do look back at that loss now as something that helped us,” Fino said. “It felt like we were getting a little complacent there. We were plateauing, and we were winning by small margins. I’ll tell you the next day, the kids came into practice upset. There wasn’t much that I needed to say to them, because I know they were upset with themselves. From then on, our practices have been more productive and efficient. The kids stepped up.”
San Benito (23-10) and Weslaco High (29-6) are separated by one game in the district with the Panthers on top at 11-1 and the Greyhounds at 10-2. The winner will get a leg up in the district title race that will wrap up with both clubs’ regular-season finales on Tuesday.
“The girls understand the complexity of the situation that we’re in and how important this game is,” Fino said. “It’s going to be a matter of whether they want it or not. I’m excited to see how that works out for us.”