FALFURRIAS — After a bucket by senior Celina Saenz, the McAllen High Bulldogs found themselves within striking distance of No. 4 state-ranked Corpus Christi Veterans, trailing the Eagles by only eight points midway through the third quarter.
The score forced Corpus Christi Veterans head coach Roy De La Pena to adjust defensively, switching from zone to a man press.
The switch stifled the Bulldogs, forcing McAllen High into turnover after turnover and sparking a 24-4 run by the Eagles to close out the game, ending the Bulldogs’ season with a 60-32 loss in the Region IV-5A quarterfinals Tuesday at Falfurrias High School.
“Basketball is a game of runs,” McAllen High head coach Stephanie Cantu said. “We made our runs. They made their runs. I think we just missed some key shots and easy shots that if they had gone in, it would have been a different story.”
“We like to push the ball, so we decided to go man,” De La Peña said. “It worked. You never know but it worked tonight. They (McAllen High) did a great job. Those girls played hard, and we played hard.”
Saenz finished with a team-high 13 points. Freshman guard Anika Fleischmann added six points off the bench.
The Eagles had three players scoring in double digits, led by Katelen Brooks’ game-high 18 points. Seniors Gabrielle Arismendi and Keira Lavers added 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Trailing by 10 at the break, the Bulldogs came out aggressive, opening with a quick five points behind a bucket from Saenz and a 3-pointer by senior Andrea Fuentes.
The Eagles answered by outscoring the Bulldogs 16-8 to close out the period, with Brooks and Arismendi combining for nine to give Corpus Christi Veterans a 13-point advantage going into the final period.
Lavers took over the contest during the fourth, scoring nine of her 13 points during the quarter, singlehandedly outscoring the Bulldogs, who mustered just four points.
Saenz kept battling despite the large deficit, coming up with the Bulldogs’ lone four points during the final period.
The Eagles (37-2, 16-0) advance to the Region IV-5A semifinals, taking on the winner between New Braunfels Canyon and Cedar Park at a time, date and location to be determined.
The Bulldogs’ season ends with a 29-10 overall record, while being the first McHi team since the 2009 Bulldogs to advance to the regional quarterfinals. McAllen High graduates five seniors, including Saenz, who led McHi in points and rebounds per game this season.
“When I met these seniors as seventh graders, I knew they were special,” Cantu said. “I knew they were going to be the ones to bring that back. They’ve done an amazing job. It’s going to be some hard shoes to fill but I think the younger ones we have on this team have all seen what we can do. Hopefully now they know our expectations and what we can do as a program.”
