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By RAUL GARCIA JR | WESLACO WORLD
San Antonio’s John Paul Stevens Lady Falcons bested the Lady Panthers 52-41 in the Texas Girls Basketball High School Playoffs.
But they didn’t let the loss go easy. They put up a fight the entire game.
The Panthers trailed 3-0 early in the contest before Melanie Carreon drove into the lane and dropped a floater to put the Panthers on the board 3-2 with three minutes into the game.
Carreon countered with a shot from downtown to tie the game 5-5 midway into the first quarter.
The Lady Falcons would score in the paint again, but the Panthers tied the game at 7-7 off a dish from Carreon to Destinee Ramos who finished in transition off a fast break.
Back on defense the Panthers allowed a Falcons’ three-pointer that put them down 10-7.
But Alexa Davila had an answer, she spotted up for the Panthers and connected with a deep shoot of her own, but the official called it two-points as her foot hit the three point line.
On the Panthers next possession Ramos passed the ball to Davila on the right side and she finished with a driving right handed layup to give the Panthers their first lead of the game at 10-11.
The Falcons tied it up 11-11 at the free throw line.
The Panthers would make a flurry of turnovers before Kennedy Villalpando gave the Panthers the 11-13 lead with a steal in the Falcons passing lane and finished on a fast break to wrap up the first quarter of the contest and take the lead once more.
To open up the second quarter Ramos drained a three ball that swished the net to extend the Panther’s lead 11-16. It was their biggest lead of the game.
The Lady Falcons connected on their next two possession. One from down low in the paint and then tied the game 16-16 with a three pointer of their own.
It would be the start of a Lady Falcon 9-0 run.
Midway through the second period tied at 16-16 the Lady Falcons pulled away making four points after picking up a missed free throw and hitting a three pointer after a missed free throw to break the tie and take a 20-16 lead.
Carreon hit a three ball to cut the Lady Panthers deficit to 20-19.
But back on defense, the Lady Panthers allowed another three ball that pushed the Lady Falcons’ lead back up 23-19.
Carreon caught a pass from Davila at the top of the arc and drained another three pointer for the Lady Panthers to cut the lead once again 23-22 with less than .30 seconds left in the first half.
The Lady Flacons extended their lead by five 27-22 with a quick four points to close out the half.
By the end of the third quarter the Lady Falcons went on a 11 to 8 run going into the fourth quarter 38-30, and they never let go of their lead the rest of the way punching their ticket to the next round of the playoffs.
The Lady Panthers capped off another successful season extending their rein as District 32-6A champions for their 10th consecutive season.
