All-around game lifts Torre

Harlingen South's Bianca Torre raced down the court during the second half of the teams' regional semifinal against San Antonio Madison last month. She put a move on a defender, then drove the lane for an easy basket.

It was one of only a few highlights for Torre - The Monitor's 2007-08 All-Valley Most Valuable Player - and Harlingen South in an otherwise tough night for the Lady Hawks, but it was a glimpse of how she dominated Rio Grande Valley competition.

It is also something Lady Hawks coach Dawn Engleman wouldn't mind seeing more of.

"I think sometimes she gives the ball up too much, to be honest," Engleman said. "I think the one complaint people might have about her is that she passes too much."

Most players would rather shoot first, pass second, but Torre is not always comfortable with that role. But she found a balance between scoring and dishing it out.

She led the Rio Grande Valley in scoring (25.6 points per game), assists (8.6 apg) and steals (11.2 spg) this season. Her 22 steals in one game against PSJA Memorial this season is tied for second all-time nationally.

"She is always wondering if she is not passing enough," said Frank Hernandez, Torre's mentor and childhood friend. "She is afraid people are going to think she is not giving her teammates a chance."

In some ways Torre knows about not giving a chance. Hernandez, a former Harlingen South player who lived across the street from Torre when he was younger, was the only one who would actually play with Torre, and even that took time.

"I would sit on the curb and watch my brothers play when I was in second grade," said Torre, who has an older sibling, Albert, but considers his neighborhood friends as brothers. "When I asked if I could play, my brothers would always say no.

"I used to sit there all sad because they would not let me play."

Hernandez gave the usual excuses - she's a girl, she's too young and she might get hurt - as to why she wasn't allowed to play.

Eventually, however, Hernandez caved and took Torre under his wing.

"When I started playing in middle school and high school, all the drills I would learn at practice I would come back home and teach her everything," Hernandez said. "She was doing high school drills long before she was in high school."

Torre is now looked at as one of the best girls players in deep South Texas, although she shies away from that statement.

"She is just so humble and grounded," Engleman said. "I think a big part of it is her faith. Being a Christian and believing in God really is a big part of her life. I feel so lucky to have a player with the type of character she has."

Engleman said Torre has received D-I attention from Texas Tech, South Alabama and the University of Texas-Pan American.

Of course, Hernandez now is a believer in Torre.

"She finally beat me. It was like one out of the 1,000th time we played," Hernandez said. "I used to tell her, she can't play D-I if she can't beat the guy from across the street. Finally she beat me, and for Christmas she bought me a basketball to remind me and she even signed it. Now I have an autographed ball from her."

Peter Rasmussen covers girls basketball for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448.