FALFURRIAS — The McAllen Memorial Mustangs found themselves exactly where they wanted to be after two quarters during their regional quarterfinals matchup.
Behind a barrage of 3-pointers, the Mustangs exploded for 45 first-half points, leading Corpus Christi Veterans by as many as 15 during the first half.
The Eagles, however, didn’t back down. Led by senior point guard Aiden Guerra, they erased a pair of double-digit deficits to complete the comeback 81-67 on Tuesday at Falfurrias High School in their Region IV-5A quarterfinal.
“I thought we did a good job coming out,” McAllen Memorial head coach Rick Treviño said. “We knew they were a really good team. Down the stretch they made some big shots and we struggled hitting ours. We had 45 in the first half, then only 20 in the second and that’s because we scored six in the final minute. We had trouble finding the hole at the end and got a little rattled.”
McAllen Memorial had four players score in double digits, led by senior Arian Elizondo’s 18 points. Alex Hougro added 14 points, while Rosendo Martinez and Jalen Muhammad chipped in 12 and 11, respectively.
Guerra finished with a game-high 32 points for the Eagles. Xavier Perez netted 16 points, while CJ Vela added 13 off the bench.
Trailing by 14 early during the second, Guerra sparked the Eagles comeback, erupting for 17 points during the period to cut the Mustangs’ lead to eight at the break.
The Eagles’ senior point guard continued his hot shooting into the third quarter, adding 10 points, including a pair of 3s to give Corpus Christi Veterans its first lead with 1:06 left in the period.
“Aiden Guerra is a major impact for us always,” Corpus Christi Veterans head coach Billy White Jr. said. “He’s one of the top kids in Texas, I feel. Not everybody gets to see it since we’re in South Texas. … He’s able to score the ball from multiple facets of the game from getting to the bucket, shooting the mid-range and shooting the three. He’s just a major factor for us.”
Corpus Christi Veterans carried the momentum into the fourth, outscoring the Mustangs 14-2 during the first five minutes of the fourth to take control of the game.
The Mustangs opened the contest on fire, making their first four shots to jump out to an 11-0 lead. Hougro netted a pair of corner 3s during the period to highlight an eight-point quarter by the senior.
McAllen Memorial was unable to sustain its hot shooting start, with the Eagles outscoring the Mustangs 44-20 during the second half.
“We got punched in the mouth,” White said. “That’s what I told the kids at the half. They came out and punched us in the mouth. They hit us hard, but we were able to respond. … We took their shot, a tough shot. We just had to make sure to lock in and focus.”
The Eagles advance to the regional semifinals, taking on San Antonio Veterans Memorial at a date, time and location to be determined.
Meanwhile, after opening the season 1-6, the Mustangs finish 21-14 overall, including a 10-4 mark in district play. They’re one of three Valley boys basketball teams to advance to the regional quarterfinals this season.
“I’m really proud of these guys,” Treviño said. “Just an amazing season for these guys. We started 1-6 without our football guys. Then we came together and played a bunch of games without any practices. Slowly but surely, we got to where we were. I’m proud of where they’ve come.”
