Lady Falcons stay focused against Hanna

Los Fresnos girls basketball coach Kim Edquist knew she would have to keep the Lady Falcons tuned up like a well-oiled machine.

With only one regular-season game remaining, Los Fresnos applied a suffocating defense in a 56-24 rout of Hanna on Friday night at Hanna.

The win kept Los Fresnos undefeated in District 32-5A play with a 13-0 record and boosted its season mark to 25-8. The Lady Falcons have already wrapped up the district championship.

Edquist did not let up for the first three quarters, knowing that the playoffs are only days away.

"We cannot hold back, because we know that the teams in the playoffs will be tougher," Edquist said. "I normally don’t put so much pressure on defense, but we have to play now like we will in the playoffs."

Hanna (17-16) dropped to 6-7 in district.

"We couldn’t take Hanna lightly, because we knew they still have a shot at the playoffs," Edquist said. "The playoffs are a second season and we’re playing like it’s the second season now."

Los Fresnos kept its pressure defense through the first three quarters. Hanna finished with 37 turnovers, 23 in the first half. Some turnovers were the result of pressure defense and others were unforced errors.

Edquist took out her starting five with two minutes left in the third quarter, and the quintet only played two minutes the rest of the way.

Sam Garcia led the Lady Falcons with 16 points while Dawn Dippong added 10. Ashley Benavidez, who scored nine points, led in rebounds with six and had two blocks.

The Lady Falcons zoomed out to a 15-0 lead before Hanna scored on a bucket by Sam Alvarez with 2:14 left in the opening period. The Falcons led by 16-2 after one period, 28-5 at halftime and 39-9 after three quarters.

After scoring only nine points during the first three quarters, Hanna came across with 15 in the final period against the Falcons' reserves. Alvarez led Hanna with seven points.

In the boys game, Hanna blew open a tight game in the second game en route to a 64-49 victory over Los Fresnos to maintain its District 32-5A lead.

Hanna (27-4) is now 10-1 in District 32-5A, and Los Fresnos (11-14) is 2-9.

Los Fresnos led early in the second, 14-12, before Hanna went on a 14-point-run to take a 26-14 lead. The Eagles were never threatened after that.