SMHS GIRLS BASKETBALL
San Marcos to face Harlingen in Area
A combined 40-point performance from senior forward Azariah Fennell and junior guard Rileigh Good led the San Marcos High School girls’ varsity basketball team to an easy 65-50 bi-district playoff win against Laredo Alexander on Tuesday in San Antonio.
An incredibly efficient first half swung the tide for the Rattlers in their playoff victory. Led by Fennell, who scored a team-high 17 points in the first half, San Marcos dominated offensively. The Rattlers early lead only grew as the contest went on, stretching out to a near 20-point cushion. San Marcos never fell behind more than five points and failed to trail after leading by 10 points. The victory crowned the Lady Rattlers as bi-district champions.
Coming out of the gate, the Rattlers looked determined to secure a playoff win in San Antonio. The team ran through offensive sets at an extremely efficient rate and continued to get to the basket for either a tough score or a foul. Everything seemed to click for San Marcos in their 19-point first quarter. Players got to their spots and shot a high percentage from the field. Fennell led the way for her team, consistently scoring from within the paint. The Harlandale gym nearly erupted with every bucket, and San Marcos looked incredibly poised in the openings.
Unfortunately for the Rattlers, the Bulldogs looked just as determined. Alexander continued to go blow-forblow with San Marcos in the opening quarter, scoring three-pointers of their own and battling in the paint for a bucket. The team scored 17 points to the Rattlers’ 19 as they headed into the second.
The second quarter saw the Rattlers dominate their opponent. Possessing the height advantage, San Marcos controlled the game on the defensive end. The team easily won the rebounding battle and continued to punish the Bulldogs inside the paint. Alexander was held to just nine points in the quarter, while San Marcos easily scored 17, including an 8-2 scoring run in the opening minutes. Fennell continued to dominate the game, scoring a team-leading 17 points in the half. Ending on a defensive stop, the Rattlers headed into the half leading 36-26.
Knocking down a three to start the third, San Marcos began to pull away. A string of scores from Good gave the team a 17-point cushion midway through the latter quarter. The Bulldogs struggled on both sides of the court, unable to keep up with San Marcos’ nonstop, aggressive pace. The Rattlers once again held their opponent to single-digit scoring in the third, beating out the Bulldogs 15-6. Extending the lead to 20, victory became imminent for the Rattlers.
Despite attempting scoring runs of their own, the Bulldogs never brought the game within single digits. Though they managed to cut the lead to 10 late in the fourth, San Marcos’ elite offensive presence wiped away any hopes of an Alexander comeback victory.
The Lady Rattlers move on the Area round where they will face the Harlingen Cardinals in a rematch from last year’s Area playoff game. Harlingen enters the matchup with a 24-9 overall record, having won District 32.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. Friday at Calallen High School.
