BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — At this point in the season, the Lady Panthers aren’t deviating from their routine. During Thursday’s practice at Weslaco High School, the team shored up and doubled down on its strengths — defense, rebounding and transition buckets.
“This late in the game, there isn’t too much you can do,” Weslaco coach Griselda Fino said. “You are who you are.”
And what the Lady Panthers are is the lone remaining Valley girls team in the UIL tournament, cementing Fino’s season-long goal of achieving the same results despite coaching a team full of new faces.
Even though Weslaco graduated six seniors from last year’s team, it claimed its fourth district title in as many years and has won 20 consecutive games, including a double-digit victory over Harlingen High during Monday’s regional quarterfinal.
As a reward for their success, the Lady Panthers will face their toughest opponent at 6 p.m. today at UTSA when they take on San Antonio Wagner in a Region IV Class 6A semifinal. Weslaco is making its first trip to the regional tournament since the 2013-14 season.
Though Wagner (24-10) is a young team with just two seniors on the roster, the Lady Thunderbirds are driven by a one-two punch of speed and size. Senior guard and TCU commit Amber Ramirez leads the team’s quick perimeter attack, while a pair of 6-foot centers anchor their interior game.
But being undersized is nothing new to Weslaco (31-6). Even during District 31-6A competition, the team was often the smallest one on the court.
“We’re not afraid of size,” senior guard Jazzlyn Muñiz said. “Even though we’re small, we still box out. And if someone goes over the back to get the rebound, that puts us on the line. We’re always small, but that hasn’t stopped us from succeeding.”
Controlling the glass was one factor during Weslaco’s win over Harlingen, wherein owning the boards meant controlling the tempo. Fino has stressed the same strategy for Wagner — a team she says is the fastest the Lady Panthers have seen all year.
Aside from rebounding, Weslaco will need every player to be a scoring threat. Muñiz and teammates Brianna Peña average 17 and 14 points, respectively, but both scored in the single digits against Harlingen, often serving as decoys on the perimeter to open up the Lady Panthers’ inside game.
Just as important as scoring will be Weslaco’s defensive strategy for a Wagner team that can shoot from nearly anywhere on the court. Muñiz, who will likely guard Ramirez, says patience and a tough mental aptitude will help limit the Lady Thunderbirds.
“I just have to stay in the game,” Muñiz said. “She’s going to get her points, but that’s the way the game is. Everyone is going to get buckets on you at some point. You just can’t let it get to you.”
Just as Muñiz recognizes the task at hand, so do does Fino.
“I told the girls that Wagner is one of those teams where we will likely win only one game out of 10,” Fino said. “We have to make this that one game if we want to keep playing.”