By MARK MOLINA | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
LOS FRESNOS — Having already wrapped up a fourth consecutive District 32-6A title, the Los Fresnos Falcons had nothing to play for but a perfect league record.
As for the Weslaco Panthers, they needed a win to keep pace in the playoff race and they played like it.
The Panthers built an early lead and their defense dug in deep as they prevailed 63-46, handing the Falcons their first district loss of the season Tuesday night at Los Fresnos High School.
The Weslaco defense made its presence felt in the paint, forcing the Falcons into tough shots and turnovers as it found itself up 15-9 after one quarter and 24-12 a minute into the second.
“It’s basketball and sometimes you’re going to make shots and you’re going to miss shots, but you have to keep on playing…it’s a game of runs,” Los Fresnos head coach Marco Hinojosa said. “Weslaco is a good ball club fighting for a playoff spot. We tried out best to hang with them, but at the end of the day, they were the better team today.”
The loss is only Los Fresnos’ fifth at home in four years and their first in district since falling to Weslaco 69-63 last January.
Meanwhile, the Panthers improve to 8-4 on the year and came into Tuesday firmly up against a wall as one of four 7-4 teams vying for three playoff spots.
Weslaco head coach Gabe Valdez feels his team should not be in that position, but are continuing to answer the call.
“Los Fresnos is a good team, but I feel like we’re just as good,” Weslaco head coach Gabe Valdez said. “We came into this game with our backs against the wall after dropping a couple of games in the first round of district. We’ve played this second half with intensity and discipline to get back in the thick of things.
“We are at the point of the district season where playoffs start and it’s win or go home and we have to prepare the kids to have that type of mentality in these next two games and hopefully make a run in playoffs.”
The Panthers were led by Safi Fino A Laself, who was held scoreless in the first and finished the game with 23 points, including nine in the second quarter where they outscored Los Fresnos (11-1 in district) 23-13 to blow the game open.
For the Falcons, Jordan Urbina was the only player in double digits with 12.
The Falcons scored just nine points in the first quarter, six coming on a pair of three-pointers from Elian Gonzalez as they struggled to make shots in the paint.
“We had to counter what Los Fresnos was doing and our plan was to slow them down a little bit,” Valdez said. “They still ran, but we shut things off once they started, got in a halfcourt set and did the right things to limit them from getting inside.”
Up nine with five minutes left in the half, Fino A Laself led an 11-5 run with six points to put the Panthers up 38-22 at the half.
Weslaco was held to just nine points in the third, but the Falcons hit from the field just four times and went 5 of 9 nine from the free-throw line.
The Falcons would make four of their next five from the line and cut the lead down to 47-40 and held Weslaco scoreless for the first 2 1/2 minutes of the fourth.
Fino A Laself would answer once again for the Panthers, scoring nine points to lead a 13-6 run to close the game.
“We had a chance there in the fourth,” Hinojosa said. “We were just in a hole too early and we couldn’t come out of it.”