San Marcos enters postseason as No. 2 seed in 6A Division II playoffs
San Marcos had their senior night spoiled in a 60-44 defeat to Cibolo Steele on Tuesday at the Snake Pit.
Defensive mismatches and offensive struggles put the Lady Rattlers into a deficit that they could not climb out of early. Failing to block off the paint, they allowed the Knights to feast on offense and create a double- digit lead minutes into the first quarter. The Rattlers found themselves at a significant height disadvantage, making it nearly impossible to block out and defend.
San Marcos also struggled to find an offensive rhythm, scoring just five points in the opening quarter. Though the team managed to battle back and produced large scoring runs in later periods, they failed to ever bring the game back within single digits. The loss puts San Marcos at 20-11 for the 2025-2026 season.
“We knew coming into the game they were going to use their size a little bit more,” head coach Cooper Haralson said. “It’s something we struggled with in the first half, and it really did end up hurting us.”
Steele started the game in a full-court pressure defense. Their height advantage produced numerous problems for the Rattlers, causing turnovers and stalling all offensive rhythm. Turnovers forced San Marcos into a 10-2 deficit early in the first. Despite getting good looks on the offensive end, the Rattlers only scored five points in the first quarter while giving up 15. Missed shots and an inability to defend mismatches in the post put San Marcos in an extremely tough position headed into the second.
The team managed to finally settle in and find a rhythm early in the next quarter. San Marcos hit a three-pointer to bring the game within single digits and switched into a zone defense to combat the height discrepancy. The adjustment seemed to work in the Rattlers’ favor, allowing them to create immediate stops on the defensive end and score on numerous trips down the court. Nearly all of San Marcos’ 15 points came from beyond the arch. Though the offense thrived, the defensive adjustment soon faltered. A couple of made threes from Steele spaced out the floor, allowing them to once again dominate the paint. A late-quarter scoring run gave the Knights a 32-20 cushion headed into the break.
“We knew it was going to be tough and that it would be a fight,” Haralson said. “I thought we did a good job of adjusting and making adjustments.”
The second half saw both teams dishing out offensive blows. Tempers began to flare, and the Snake Pit continued to ring out with cheers after every Rattler score. San Marcos put up 12 points in the third quarter, but gave up 13 on the defensive end. The deficit remained at double-digits, and the team entered the fourth trailing 45-32. San Marcos failed to bring the game within a couple of scores in the fourth, and with nearly two minutes left, Haralson emptied his bench and allowed his seniors to play one last quarter at home.
“I’m proud of the way the girls fought,”Haralson said. “Adversity is going to hit at some point, so we’re just going to have to make adjustments heading into the playoffs.”
The Rattlers will now gear up for what looks to be a deep playoff run.
Senior Azariah Fennell goes up for the ball during Lady Rattlers home district game against Cibolo Steele. Daily Record photo by Gerald Castillo
