EDINBURG — The Edinburg Vela SaberCats knew they were going into hostile territory during Friday’s District 31-6A contest against Edinburg High.
The SaberCats, who entered the contest riding a 19-game winning streak, handed the Bobcats their lone district loss of the year Dec. 17, coming away with a lopsided 21-point win.
Since then, Edinburg High had reeled off seven straight wins, hungry to avenge their early season loss to the SaberCats.
The highly anticipated rematch between the crosstown rivals drew a raucous crowd from both teams, with a playoff-like atmosphere, even before the game tipped off.
From the opening tip, the two teams engaged in a physical, gritty contest, neither team able to get a clear advantage through three quarters.
The SaberCats, however, delivered the knockout blow, going up double-digits on an acrobatic shot by sophomore Janai Coleman to open the final period and never looking back, as Edinburg Vela grinded out a 48-34 victory over the Bobcats.
“I just told them to remember how we got here,” Edinburg Vela head coach Lottie Zarate said. “From Day 1, when we started — of all the 28 or 30 games, whatever we’ve played thus far — we had to stay focused and remember what got us here. We had to keep our composure. We knew it was going to be a hostile environment, per se.”
After being contained to two points during the first half, Coleman came to life during the third quarter, scoring five of the SaberCats first seven points of the second half.
Junior combo guard Emma Lucio chipped in seven third quarter points, including the SaberCats’ final five points of the period to send them into the fourth period with a nine-point advantage.
Coleman and Lucio helped stretch the lead to double-digits during the final period, each scoring four points during an 8-2 run to put the SaberCats up 15 with 3:30 left.
The Bobcats held the SaberCats well below their 70 points per game average, holding Edinburg Vela’s dynamic duo of Coleman and Emma Lucio in check for most of the game.
Still, the duo did their damage when it mattered, combining for 21 of the SaberCats’ 24 second-half points. Coleman finished with 12 points, while Lucio netted a game-high 18.
“It was loud, and it was rowdy,” Lucio said. “We just had to keep our composure so we could get the win and come out on top. We were just thinking about the bigger picture. Our eyes were on the prize. We wanted the win. That’s what we came here to do. It wasn’t about anything else.”
The Bobcats came out of the gate firing, jumping out to a quick 6-0 lead behind 3-pointers from sophomore Kimora Fagan and Madison Martinez. The SaberCats answered back with a 10-2 to close out the first.
Still, Edinburg High continued to fight, cutting the lead down to one possession on several occasions. The SaberCats had an answer for every Bobcats run, however, holding off the furious Bobcats comeback efforts.
Sophomore Emily Carranco finished with a team-high 14 points, while Fagan chipped in eight.
“I think coming to our rival school, they always bring the intensity,” Zarate said. “Like I told the girls, you just got to be ready and be focused because they’re going to bring it. I’m very proud of them. They worked hard. They did what they had to do. You can see a lot of our shots didn’t fall. We rushed a lot of things. But, at the end of the day, like I told the girls, a win is a win. That’s what we came here to do.”
The victory tightens the SaberCats’ grip on first place in District 31-6A, improving to 11-0 with five games remaining. Meanwhile, the Bobcats remain in second place, falling to 10-2 in district play.
Edinburg Vela (28-2, 11-0) returns to action at 6 p.m. Tuesday, hosting the PSJA High Bears at Edinburg Vela. The Bobcats (25-8, 10-2) hit the road at 6 p.m. Tuesday, taking on the PSJA North Raiders at PSJA North.
