KINGSVILLE — The McAllen Rowe Warriors’ season came to an end during the Region IV-5A area playoffs, falling 54-48 to the Laredo Cigarroa Toros on Thursday at the Kingsville King High gym.
McAllen Rowe freshman Alyssa Cantu scored a team-high 12 points, all coming from beyond the arc. Junior forward Yulissa Yebra added 10 points, while senior Destiny Menchaca chipped in nine points.
Laredo Cigarroa had three players in double-figures, led by junior Mia Calderon’s game-high 16 points. Senior Brianna Mariscal added 13 points, while sophomore Eunice Cervantes chipped in 12 points off the bench.
Down 18 midway through the third quarter, McAllen Rowe head coach Alex Robles reminded his team that they had been here before, recalling their Nov. 30 overtime victory over Los Fresnos after trailing by 17.
The Warriors responded to their coach’s message, using a barrage of 3-pointers to spark a 20-5 run and cut the lead to two early during the fourth.
The Toros responded with a 10-0, capping it off with a corner 3 by Mila Calderon with one minute left to put the final nail in the coffin.
“We knew we just had to claw back little by little,” Robles said. “We jumped into our press. Surprisingly, we hadn’t run that in a while. It worked really well. We caught them off guard and had a chance when we were down two a couple of times to tie or take the lead. It just wasn’t our night tonight. Laredo Cigarroa played really well. They hit big shot after big shot. This is what happens when you start advancing further into the playoffs.”
The Warriors jumped out to a quick seven-point lead during the first quarter behind Evelyn Valero’s six points. The Toros answered back with a 7-1 run to close out the first, trailing the Warriors 13-12 after one quarter.
After exchanging the lead four times during the second quarter, the Toros erupted on a 14-0 run to close out the half, taking a 13-point advantage into the break and never relinquishing it from there.
“The one thing I can say is I’m super proud of our girls,” Robles said. “They did everything we worked on. We had wide open shots. It’s just in the first half they weren’t falling in. It’s like the rim had a little cover on it and they just weren’t going in.”
The Toros advance to the Region IV-5A quarterfinals, awaiting tonight’s winner between Brownsville Veterans and Corpus Christi Flour Bluff.
The loss snaps the Warriors’ 20-game winning streak, ending their season at 32-5 overall. The mark, which includes a 14-0 district record, ranks as the best in school history.
“I’ve been good these last three years holding my tears back, but with this group, I owe them everything,” Robles said. “I’m beyond proud of what they accomplished this year. They made history. No matter what happened today, this group will be known as the first Rowe girls group to go 14-0, go on a 20-game winning streak and have the most wins in school history. No matter how our season ended, it’ll never take that away from them.”
