Bradford leads South over Rivera

BROWNSVILLE - It's early, but so far Harlingen South coach Brian Molina likes where his team is going.

The Hawks fought off a rocky first quarter and, with the help of Joseph Bedford's 16-point performance, defeated the Rivera Raiders 65-53 on Friday.

"Rivera is a tough team, especially on their home court," Molina said. "They are a very well-coached team and are always in the playoffs. This was a good test for us. This was a good win for us, but we have a lot to improve on."

After stumbling during the first quarter to a 17-9 deficit, the Hawks turned it around before halftime by outscoring the Raiders 16-5 in the opening minutes of the second.

Whether forced or unforced, the Raiders turned over the ball eight times in the quarter, and Harlingen South converted those mistakes to turn an eight-point deficit to a nine-point advantage at 35-26 going into the second half.

The Hawks built their lead to 41-26 with a 6-0 run that included a breakaway layup by Rico Herrera in the first minute of the third.

Rivera's Lucio Escamilla started the Raiders' own run with a 3 on the ensuing possession.

Escamilla's trey jump-started Rivera's offense, and the Raiders cut the lead to 49-44 with 55 seconds left in the third.

Raiders guard Luis Mejia converted a three-point play to start the fourth, making it a two-possession game at 51-47

The Raiders then missed four consecutive free throws, and from there the Hawks went on a backbreaking 10-0 run.

"That was big," Rivera coach Saul Villarreal said. "We got it close and missed four free throws. We (also) can't turn the ball over in crucial situations.

Villarreal added that his Raiders are young, but playing games against tough opponents (McAllen High, Harlingen South) early will help them come district play.

"We played better defense in the second half," he said. "We just need to keep improving and limit our turnovers and we'll get better."

The Hawks had two other players in double-digits, including Herrera with 14 points and Ricky Torres with 10.

Mejia was the point leader for the Raiders with 12. Richard Reyes chipped in 11 and Lucio Escamilla had 10, respectively.

Louie Vera writes for Valley Freedom Newspapers. He can be reached at (956) 982-6663 or via e-mail at lvera@brownsvilleherald.com.