By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR.
Special to the PRESS
This Tuesday, December 2, the 4A Port Isabel ECHS Lady Tarpons hosted the 5A Brownsville Porter Cowgirls in a non-district basketball game.
The Lady Tarpons entered the matchup looking for their first win after dropping their first three games to Harvest Christian (98-25), Rio Hondo (77-34) and Edcouch-Elsa (46-24). Meanwhile, the Cowgirls won their season opener against IDEA Riverview (23-20), but then lost their next three to Hanna (37-17), Roma (50-25) and Jubilee Brownsville (24-23).
The game got off to a slow start, with the Lady Tarpons holding a 5-2 lead midway through the first period. Their defense was fierce, as their pressure led to several missed shots by the Cowgirls. Offensively, Port Isabel struggled with their own shooting, but a two-pointer by Chelsea Hernandez gave PI a 7-4 lead as the period ended.
As the second period began, the Cowgirls capitalized on two unforced Port Isabel turnovers to take a 9-7 lead. Midway through the quarter, however, the Lady Tarpons retook control after a three-pointer by Hernandez made it a 12-9 game. PI’s defense continued to hound the Cowgirls, racking up six steals in the period. Port Isabel led 15-11 at halftime.
Both teams came out sharper in the second half. By the midpoint of the third quarter, PI had extended its lead to 20-14, but the Cowgirls began chipping away at the free throw line, cutting the deficit to 22-19 by the end of the period. PI’s Precious Vasquez was a defensive force, picking up three rebounds, two blocks and a steal during the quarter.
In the final stanza, the Cowgirls stepped up on both sides of the ball and trailed just 25-24 midway through the period. Strong defense from both teams slowed the scoring. With a minute and a half remaining, PI’s Escarlet Urrutia grabbed her third steal of the quarter and drove down the court for a basket that gave the Lady Tarpons a crucial 27-24 lead. The Cowgirls were fouled with less than 10 seconds to go but made only one of two free throws, cutting the lead to 27-25. The Lady Tarpons held onto the ball as the buzzer sounded, securing their first win of the season.
PIECHS girls’ basketball head coach Ramon Garcia was pleased with the win and the team’s effort. “This was a good game because we were able to pressure and deal with the pressure very well. Since we’re young, we needed that experience,” Garcia said. “We are getting better as the season progresses. We are starting to see more aggressiveness, more movement of the ball, and the girls are looking a little more comfortable.”
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