Rattlers extend their winning streak defeating Smithson Valley 74-60

San Marcos took down Smithson Valley 74-60 in a game full of momentum swings, with the Rattlers starting off hot and then pulling away in the second half. San Marcos was able to push the pace and outrun the Rangers in transition, but also got stops with physical defense and solid shot contests in the half-court game.

“We treated it like a district game. We lost the first game against them (this year) — so you have to make a few adjustments and look at the film,” Head Coach Dan Miller said. “It’s like round two of (a) district (game). So I was pleased with the guys for that. I thought we really set the tone early. We had a little lull in the second quarter. We need to keep our foot on the gas. But then in the second half, we came out of the locker room and were ready to close it out, and we did it tonight.”

San Marcos opened the gates with a 15-2 run six minutes into the first quarter. The Rattlers were forcing the Rangers to take tough contested shots and disrupting their offensive flow, which allowed them to run in transition and build their lead. Smithson Valley was able to finish the quarter with an 8-7 advantage in the final two minutes, which put San Marcos’ lead at 22-10.

The Rangers had their best quarter of the game in the second, opening the period on a 10-3 run of their own. Smithson Valley took a page from the Rattlers’ book in the first quarter — forcing turnovers on defense and stifling San Marcos’ sets as they continued cutting into the lead. The Ranger’s run grew to 15-3 late in the first half, starting the second quarter nearly identical to the Rattlers start in the first. Smithson Valley’s quarter-long run tied things up at one point in the quarter, but San Marcos escaped with a 30-28 advantage heading to halftime.

“As a unit, we played good. We've got a lot of things to work on — just silly turnovers and everything — but we practiced hard earlier this morning,” Senior center Ory Williams said. “Yesterday, we had a very good practice, it was just intensity the whole way through. So I feel like today we really came out and did what coach Miller preached and what we practiced — but we still have a lot to improve on.”

The third quarter had a slower start pace-wise, with only 11 points being scored in total over the first four minutes of the period. That’s when the Rattlers turned on the gas — San Marcos finished the quarter with a 14-3 run while getting back to what got them success in the first quarter, forcing turnovers and outrunning the Rangers in transition. The run cushioned the Rattler’s lead to 51-37 heading into the fourth.

“I think (our ball movement) has come a long way. We’re a different team than we were to start the season, and we’re moving the ball. That’s crazy to have almost five double- digit scorers in a high school game with only 32 minutes,” Miller said. “I like that and everyone off the bench. Some games we use more guys off the bench. Tonight was a little tighter and that’s just part of basketball and the rotations. I thought that all the guys did a good job tonight sharing and moving the ball for the most part. We got a little sticky in the second quarter and then that’s what happens. We have the lulls. But, we made the extra pass, and I love the way Cash set the tone as a point guard tonight. That was big.”

The Rattlers held the lead throughout the final period, holding the Rangers at around a 10-point deficit throughout the quarter. Smithson Valley was able to cut San Marcos’ lead to single-digits, but the Rattlers responded and kept pace offensively to secure the 74-60 win. Senior guard Cash Good led the team scoring-wise with 21 points and junior guard Donavan Riddick followed closely behind with 20 points of his own.

“I’m a scorer, so if you feed me the ball, I’m trying to go get a bucket. Honestly anytime. It doesn’t matter if I’m getting double- teamed or something. I still (believe I can and) want to get a bucket,” Junior guard Donavan Riddick said. “But the majority of the time, I know I have to be a good teammate and make sure my team is doing good and have their heads up. That’s what I like doing — being a scorer and uplifting my teammates.”

The Rattlers will look to extend their winning streak to seven games at the San Marcos Holiday Tournament from Dec. 28-30 inside the Snake Pit.

“I’ve been saying all year, I know we have an excellent district. There’s going to be two good teams that aren’t going to make the playoffs in our six-team district. It’s just a reality. So every night is going to be a dog fight, and we just need to be playing our best basketball in January and February,” Miller said. “But I’m proud of what we’re doing right now. It’s a really great week for San Marcos. Texas State (Men’s Basketball) won, we got the bowl game coming up after Christmas, we have Christmas, the Rattlers are winning (and) the Lady Rattlers are winning, so it’s just a great time. It’s a good feeling going into Christmas break with all the good stuff that’s going on.”

judemcclaren.unity @gmail.com Twitter: @judemcclaren