By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR.
Special to the PRESS
This past Thursday, Dec. 8, the Port Isabel Tarpons participated in the C.E. Vail Tournament held in La Feria. The Tarpons got off to a good start in the three-day tourney with a big 79-31 win over IDEA Weslaco Pike in game one. PI’s Christian Smith was on fire as he scored a game-high 32 points against the WP Mavericks.
Later in the day, the Tarpons lost to a tough Corpus Christi Moody team, 74-64. On day two, the Tarpons bounced back with an 86-46 win over IDEA Quest. Then later that night, they picked up win number three with a 62-44 win over Macedonian Christian as they headed to the Bronze Bracket semifinals to face off against the Valley View Tigers.
On day three, the Tarpons and Tigers both got off to a competitive first quarter as the Tigers led the Tarpons 12-11. In the second quarter, the Tarpons started to pull away as they outscored the Tigers 18-8. PI then outscored the Tigers again in the third, as they built a commanding 47-28 lead, heading into the final stanza. Port Isabel’s bench saw some action in the fourth as PI secured a 59-45 win over Valley View.
In the Bronze Bracket Championship game, the 4A Port Isabel Tarpons were set to face off against the 5A PSJA Memorial Wolverines. The Tarpons jumped out to a 11-8 lead in the first quarter and built a 29-20 lead headed into halftime. The Wolverines came back strong in the second half, but PI kept PSJAM at bay as they took the 55-48 win. Another solid performance by the PI team as they finished with a 5-1 record in the tourney. For his outstanding play during the tournament, PI’s Cleveland Smith was selected All-Tournament Player.
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