RIO GRANDE CITY — McAllen Memorial’s Arian Elizondo has served as the Mustangs’ top offensive weapon as season long.
With the Tigers erasing a double-digit lead late during the third quarter, it was no surprise when Elizondo took over the contest.
In a matter of minutes, Elizondo turned an eight-point lead into a 14-point advantage, personally outscoring the Tigers 8-2 between the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters.
The Tigers didn’t get within single digits again, as McAllen Memorial ousted Laredo Martin 74-61 on Friday at Rio Grande City High in Rio Grande City.
“I’m just in kill mode when I’m out there,” Elizondo said. “If you can’t stop me at first, I’m going to keep killing you and driving by you.”
Elizondo finished with a game-high 29 points. Alex Hougro and Jalen Muhammad each scored in double-digits, chipping in 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Freshman Jorge Martinez led the Tigers with 19 points, while senior Elijah Becker added 17.
The victory advances the Mustangs to the regional quarterfinals for the first time since 2016. They’ll take on the Corpus Christi Veterans Eagles at a date, time and location to be determined.
“It feels good,” Treviño said. “This is the first time this group has been three rounds. Same thing with me. We knew this was going to be a battle. We knew it could go either way. I think we came out really strong and just kept it going.”
After trading 3-pointers during the opening period, with the two teams combining for seven during the first, the Mustangs erupted on a 13-1 run during the second, taking a 16-point advantage into the break.
The Tigers battled back in the third, erasing the double-digit deficit behind a barrage of 3-pointers, including a back-to-back by Becker which made it a nine-point game midway through the quarter.
“We knew they were going to have a run on us during the third,” McAllen Memorial head coach Rick Treviño said. “We just tried to keep our composure and keep it going. I told them to stay focused. We talked about it at the half. We talked about staying within what we were doing, don’t panic and keep going.”
The Mustangs did precisely that, with Elizondo sparking a 9-2 run on a 3-pointer with 5:18 left, all but putting the game out of reach.
“He’s been our top scorer all year,” Treviño said. “The thing about him is, we have a lot of guys around him that can score and do stuff. So, if they try to focus on him, it’s never successful for teams. The way we’re spread out really compliments his game. But he can really just go when he decides to go.”
