McALLEN — The McAllen High Bulldogs won a share of the District 31-5A championship with a thrilling 60-58 overtime victory over crosstown rival McAllen Memorial on Saturday at Memorial High School.
“It was a great basketball game. Memorial brings it every time we play them, especially here at their home court,” McHi head coach Ryan Flores said. “It felt like a playoff atmosphere. It was intense, the energy was high. You have to give credit to Memorial because they came back and hit some big shots to make it an overtime game. It was a great game on both sides and I’m just glad we were able to get the last possession to win the game.”
Tied at 58 with four seconds left in overtime and the full length of the court to go, McHi’s Quin Canada Jr. dribbled through three defenders and found freshman Danny Canul near the top of the key.
Two defenders flashed in front of Canul as he scooped the ball and sent it toward the rim from just inside the 3-point line. The shot went off the back of the iron through the hoop and the Bulldogs rushed the floor in celebration of beating their rivals, winning a share of the 31-5A title.
“I knew there wasn’t a lot of time. So as soon as I got the ball, I shot it and it went in. It’s probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” Canul said. “This one means a lot because we’ve been putting in a lot of work and we got it.”
McHi built a double-digit lead at the break, but Memorial fought its way back into the game with a solid second half. During the final minutes of the fourth, the Mustangs drained four 3-pointers to eventually take 53-50 lead with under a minute to play.
McHi’s Canada answered with a 3-pointer to knot it at 53 and send the game into overtime, where they went on to get one more bucket than the Mustangs.
“They were poised. They took their time and they knew they were never out of it,” Flores said. “They trusted in themselves and in each other and we were able to get the win.”
Canada, a four-year letterman with the Bulldogs, said the win was special for him.
“I put in a lot of work since my freshman year. We’ve worked for this, and when you work, it’s bound to happen, so I’m just happy,” he said.
Chino Elizondo led the Mustangs with 16 points, while Jalen and Jaden Muhammad added 11 apiece.
McHi’s Danny and Robert Canul finished with 14 points. Canada scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists.
McHi now splits the district title with McAllen Rowe, which also went 12-2 this season in 31-5A competition. The share of the District 31-5A title is the Bulldogs first since the 2014-15 season.
“It’s so much of a reward to see the hard work — getting up at 6 a.m. having practice, lifting weights — it pays off if you believe in the process. I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Flores said. “I’m glad we were in this position and I’m glad we finished the way we did going into the playoffs.”
Mustangs’ focus now shifts to the playoffs after finishing the regular season 16-8 overall and 8-6 as the No. 4 seed out of 31-5A.
“Somebody had to win and somebody had to lose, but we’re in the playoffs and we have a chance to make a run. With the district coming down to (Friday) and today just shows how tough this district was,” Memorial head coach Sammy Cortez said.
