MISSION — PSJA North senior guard Elijah De La Garza scored more than 2,000 points during his four-year high school basketball career.
The next chapter of his career will be at the collegiate level after signing a national letter of intent Thursday to attend Trinity University in San Antonio. De La Garza was surrounded by family, friends and coaches while putting pen to paper.
“I’m feeling excited. A little nervous, but excited,” De La Garza said about his signing day. “I’ve been working out with my dad (PSJA North assistant coach Romeo De La Garza) since I was 5. My dad pushed me a lot and it’s a great feeling to be able to play college basketball. It’s one of my dreams and it feels amazing.”
De La Garza spent his freshman year at Mission Veterans, where he scored 624 points during his first season of varsity ball. He then moved to PSJA North where he piled up 1,820 more points as a sophomore, junior and season to finish his four years with 2,444 career points.
He averaged 26.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals in 18 games as a senior with the Raiders.
Now, De La Garza will be headed to the “Alamo City” to join the Trinity Tigers’ men’s basketball program. Trinity is a Division III school which competes in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC).
Trinity finished the shortened 2020-21 season with a 10-2 overall record and reached the SCAC Championship Game.
“When I went for my visit, it just felt like a home. Like a home away from home,” De La Garza said. “I fell in love with the campus. The coaches were amazing and I was just really excited to go there.”
De La Garza will join another former Rio Grande Valley hoops standout at Trinity in McAllen Rowe alum Darrin Everage, who just wrapped up his freshman season with the Tigers.
“I’m looking forward to the experience, the competition, everything about it,” De La Garza said.
