Lady Rattlers fall in tense buzzer-beater vs Navarro

San Marcos had the game in their hands until they didn’t.

In another ultra-competitive matchup, the Lady Rattlers fell 55-54 to Geronimo Navarro in overtime. The Lady Panthers hit a near buzzer- beating three-pointer on their final possession that bled just enough clock to prevent the Purple and White from heaving up a final shot of their own.

“I thought Navarro did what Navarro does. They’re gonna push the ball. They’re not gonna sulk or be sorry that you made a shot on them. They’re going to get it up that sideline, [and] they’re going to try to get it and cram it down your throat,” Head Coach Jermaine Ervin said. “They’re going to play hard and they’re going to play disciplined, just like their coach teaches them. A couple years ago we played them when I first took over the head coaching duties here. It was a similar game. That game, they made two jump shots. This game, I want to say they made three. And, 40 to 14 [on] free throws–it’s hard to overcome that.”

San Marcos opened the game in a defensive battle, where only 13 points were scored in the first four minutes of the game. That pace picked up throughout the rest of the quarter, with The Lady Rattlers finishing the period on an 11-4 run and gaining an 18-12 lead after the first eight minutes. Freshman guard Rileigh Good hit two threes in the quarter that helped jump-start San Marcos' offense amidst Navarro’s zone.

The Lady Rattlers had another defensive quarter on their hands in the second. Just two baskets–one by each team–were made midway through the second quarter, putting San Marcos’ lead at 20-14. That’s when the Lady Panthers turned up the intensity, cutting the Purple and White’s lead to 23-22 at halftime by scoring on the interior and the foul line.

“I don’t think we played defense the way we (want to) play defense. I thought we were on our heels a lot. I think that it’s been a tough week [coming off of] Thanksgiving break,” Ervin said. “And coming off of a week of competition at the Allen Hoop Fest. Then to come back, play, and then have Thanksgiving. I just don’t think that we’re in our groove right now.”

The third quarter was a game of runs. The Lady Panthers jumped out to a 6-0 run to gain their largest lead of the game to that point, but San Marcos immediately responded with a 7-0 run of their own to retake the lead at 30-28. Navarro was able to gain a one-score advantage after a hard-fought end to the quarter, up 37-35 going into the fourth.

The Lady Panthers’ intensity continued into the fourth quarter, as Navarro started the period on a 8-4 run to gain a 45-39 lead midway through the fourth prompting San Marcos to call timeout. The Lady Rattlers crawled their way back into the game afterwards. Good hit a clutch three in the corner which cut Navarro’s lead to 46-44 late, but the Lady Panthers were able to get a layup to push things to 4946, with about 18 seconds left.

That’s when senior guard Bailey Guzman hit a three that bounced on the rim before falling in the basket. The Lady Panthers were left with just 3 seconds on the clock and no timeouts, and weren’t able to get a shot up before the buzzer sounded which sent the game to overtime.

“Bailey Guzman is Bailey Guzman. She is the epitome of a basketball player. I tell her everyday she’s gonna be a better coach than a player, and she’s a very good player. She’s gone through two knee surgeries. She was a freshman varsity player (and) she tore a meniscus and an ACL. One knee came back, and then in the summer she tore her meniscus and ACL in the other knee last year,” Ervin said. 'So she’s been through a lot–where most people would say this is it, why me?–She’s gone through all that. She’s focused. She still doesn’t quite have her legs up under her, but one thing she can [still] do is put the ball in the basket. I’ll never doubt that.”

Overtime turned into a possession game. Both teams held the ball when they had leads during the period, and it took about half of the final five minutes for either side to gain a lead. The Lady Rattlers gained a three-point lead late that seemed like it may have sealed the win, but Navarro was able to get to the line twice while keeping possession and go two-for-four to cut San Marcos’ lead to 53-52.

The Lady Panthers were forced to foul San Marcos, who went one-for-two at the line. Navarro drove up the court with little time left, and passed to an open shooter on the wing who drained it on a near buzzer- beater to secure the victory in dramatic fashion.

San Marcos (7-3) will return to the court on Dec. 2 against Antonian Prep in San Antonio at 9 a.m.

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