BY KEVIN NARRO | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
PHARR — PSJA North came into the season as one of the youngest teams in District 31-6A. The Lady Raiders’ starting five is made up of three sophomores and two juniors. Learning curves come with the territory of having a young club, and that was the case Saturday afternoon.
With both offenses struggling to find their form in the opening quarter, the Lady Raiders made adjustments. PSJA North managed to handle Edinburg North’s physical style of play with poise and maturity. Despite their youth, the Lady Raiders used a strong third quarter to pull away with a 53-47.
“We had a bump on the road against PSJA Memorial,” Raiders coach Randy Bocanegra said. “They played with a lot of intensity. This Edinburg North team brought that same style of play. For us, it’s just a matter of learning how to handle that pressure. It’s a part of the learning curve. Games like these could have gone either way. I thought both teams played with intensity. We did a good job shooting the ball. In the third quarter, we had a run that put us ahead. We took our foot off the gas a little bit, and it allowed them to come back.”
In the second quarter, neither team could capitalize on the other’s turnovers until midway through the period. Junior Ashia De La Garza drained a 3-pointer to give PSJA North.
De La Garza’s three ball jump stared the PSJA North offense. Meanwhile, Edinburg North struggled mightily on offense, scoring only three points in the second quarter. The first field goal came in the final seconds of the quarter from senior Tiffany Chapa. Junior Mel Palacios led all scorers with seven first half points.
Edinburg North tired to cut the deficit in the third and fourth quarters, but PSJA North had an answer for every shot. The Lady Raiders’ biggest lead was 15 points. A 12-4 run in the third quarter set the wheels in motion for a much-improved second half.
“We knew they would increase the pressure,” Palacios said. “It was a tough game. It feels good to come out on top. Coach wanted us to slow down the pace. In the second half, we did a little bit of everything. We attacked the paint, kicked it out and made shots.”
Palacios, the lone returning starter from last year’s Sweet 16 team, understands that every district game matters.
“I tell the girls to just keep playing hard,” Palacios said. “We as a team are finding our form. Even though we are really young, these girls have stepped up, and continue to work hard each week.”
Sophomore Catie Rodriguez contributed with a strong second half for PSJA North.
“We just need to keep working,” Rodriguez said. “This is a tough district. Most of the teams are older than us, but that doesn’t stop us. Yes, we’re young, but we continue to play together and listen to what the coaches have to teach us. Today was tough. Edinburg North brought a lot of intensity, and I thought we did a good job on responding.”
PSJA North (17-6, 2-1) is in a race with Edinburg Vela, Edinburg High and PSJA Memorial in the district stnadings. The Lady Raiders will play Vela on Tuesday night. The Lady Cougars (12-10, 1-2) will have a date with Edinburg High.