McALLEN — Weslaco High entered Tuesday’s contest against McAllen Memorial as one of two Valley teams ranked in the latest Texas Girls Coaches Association’s state poll, sitting at No. 17 in the Class 6A rankings.
Three quarters in, however, the Panthers looked like anything but the state-ranked team they are, committing numerous turnovers and struggling to put points on the board. A flip switched during the final period, and they outscored the Mustangs 19-6 en route to a convincing 50-31 victory at the McAllen Memorial Gym.
“I think that was probably the worst game we had all year,” Weslaco High head coach Griselda Fino said. “I really am at a loss for words. I think we were very unfocused. We lost our little guard early in the game and she’s our machine, to be honest with you. I don’t know if that rattled us or what it was, but I think we came in unfocused and it showed from the get-go.”
With the offense struggling early, Weslaco High junior Raemie Medina knew she had to step up. The standout point guard shouldered the load during the first two quarters, scoring 14 of her team’s 22 points to send Weslaco High into the break with a 22-20 lead.
Medina finished with a game-high 22 points during the victory, doing most of her damage from inside the paint.
“When we’re struggling, I know I have to take over,” Medina said. “I know I have to get the ball in my hands as much as possible and calm the team down. I want to give them that reassurance that we’re going to be OK. I want for the team to have faith in me and know we’re going to get the job done.”
Medina’s dominant first half opened the door for senior forward Morgan Peralez during the second half, erupting for 12 points during the final two quarters.
Peralez ended with 16 points, including eight during the Panthers’ 19-6 fourth quarter to seal the victory.
“I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again, I have the best guard-post combo in the Valley by far,” Fino said. “(Medina) is an excellent point guard. Then you have Morgan (Peralez) picking up her trash and putting it back up, or knowing exactly what Raemie is doing and being ready for that dish.”
“I love playing with Morgan,” Medina added. “We work really well. I feed off her and she feeds off of me. If I put up a shot, I know she’ll be there to get my rebound if I miss. It’s just a back-and-forth thing.”
The Mustangs struggled to find their groove offensively throughout the night, held to just 31 points, well below their season average of 52.3 points per game.
Ann Mabadeje led McAllen Memorial with a team-high eight points. Madison Borjas added seven points, and Serenity De La Garza chipped in six.
The Panthers improve to 13-1 on the year, bouncing back from their first loss of the year against Edinburg Vela on Nov. 22. They turn their attention to the Border Olympics, a three-day tournament hosted by Laredo ISD beginning Thursday.
The Mustangs drop to 10-5. They return to action at the Corpus Christi Coaches Association Tournament beginning Thursday at the Corpus Christi Carroll gym.
