Girls basketball notebook: Mission, La Joya set to meet in play-in game

It’s Round 3.

The boxing reference is appropriate when it comes to La Joya High and Mission High. The Lady Coyotes and Lady Eagles have staged two physical games during the regular season in which they split.  Coaches from both teams expect a similar type game on Friday when they play off for the fourth place postseason seed from District 30-5A. Mission will host La Joya in the play-in game at 7 p.m. Friday.

“I see it being the same type of game — being an aggressive game,” Mission coach Rene Garza said. “It’s going to be a hard-fought game.”

La Joya won the first matchup, 34-31, on Jan. 10 on its home floor. The Lady Eagles defeated La Joya, 40-39, at Mission last Friday. The Lady Coyotes could have wrapped up a playoff spot and Mission would have been eliminated last Friday. None of that matters now.

“They are a well-coached and very disciplined team,” La Joya coach Dan Morales said of Mission. “I expect nothing but the best from both teams. It’s for all the marbles. Winner goes to the playoffs.”

Mission and La Joya finished 8-6 in district. Despite finishing the regular season with two consecutive losses, Morales said his team is upbeat about Friday’s game.

“We feel very fortunate and blessed to have one more chance to keep our season going,” Morales said. “The girls’ confidence is OK.”

The game will be a contrast of styles. Mission prefers a deliberate game, but the Lady Eagles can run when given the chance. Mission had no problem breaking La Joya’s press last Friday and that led to some easy baskets. La Joya likes to run and shoot the three. The Lady Coyotes misfired on numerous attempts from the arc last Friday.

“If we get into a running game, that’s to their advantage,” Garza said of La Joya.

KEEPING A PROMISE

A day after Harlingen South lost to crosstown rival Harlingen High, 70-29, last December, Lady Hawks coach Dawn Engleman vowed that her team would not lose that badly again. She also said her team would factor in the District 31-5A playoff chase.

Despite having one senior who was lost for the season because of injury, graduating all five of her starters from a team that won the district championship last season and playing with a team nearly made up entirely of first-year varsity players, Engleman didn’t give up on this team. More importantly, she said, it didn’t give up on her and that was the biggest reason why the Lady Hawks are in the playoffs. Harlingen South secured the fourth and final spot from 31-5A by defeating Edinburg High 53-48 on Tuesday.

“We definitely never peaked,” said Engleman, whose team finished the regular season 19-16. “We just kept hoping to climb that mountain and get to the top. This has been rewarding. Every single practice, every single game, the kids stayed coachable.”

The Lady Hawks will play at Los Fresnos at 7 p.m. Monday in a bi-district playoff. Los Fresnos defeated Harlingen South, 55-37, early in the season. With the Lady Hawks riding a wave of momentum into the playoffs, there could be a different outcome.

“We are a completely different team than we were at the beginning of the season,” Harlingen South junior Gabby Cavazos said.

WAITING GAME

Brownsville St. Joseph has won the TAPPS District 5-5A championship with a 4-0 record and awaits its first playoff opponent. The Lady Bloodhounds will likely play San Antonio Holy Cross in the first round next weekend.

In order to prepare for that, coach Cynthia Martinez will try to get her team to watch Holy Cross in San Antonio on Saturday. Martinez said most of the team is expected to be in San Antonio anyway to watch St. Joseph’s boys soccer team in the playoffs that day. She hopes her players can find time to watch Holy Cross too.

“A lot of our kids are going to be up there,” Martinez said. “We’re going to see if we can sneak in a little bit of that game so we can see the target. Right now, (Holy Cross) is invisible to us.”

The Lady Bloodhounds weren’t challenged in district and both opponents they faced — Laredo St. Augustine and Victoria St. Joseph —played zone defenses. Martinez expects to see a lot of man to man play in the postseason. The Lady Bloodhounds prepared for district by playing in several tournaments.

“We had a big tournament season where 90 percent of the teams play man-to-man,” Martinez said. “I’m hoping that will not be a problem.”

David Hinojosa covers girls high school basketball for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4442 or via email at dhinojosa@themonitor.com

Top 10

Final regular season rankings

Rank;School (record);Previous

1. Hidalgo (34-2); 1

2. Harlingen (30-4); 2

3. Los Fresnos (30-4); 3

4. McAllen Rowe (22-11); 4

5. PSJA North (27-7); 5

6. Brownsville St. Joseph (24-13)

7. Mission Veterans (27-10) 7

8. Weslaco (29-8); 8

9. San Benito (23-13) 9

10. Sharyland (22-11); 10