Rattlers unable to overcome Clemens second quarter run in loss

The Rattlers swallowed a tough pill Tuesday night.

San Marcos fell 62-39 to Schertz Clemens in a game where the Buffaloes rode the momentum of a 17-0 run at the end of first half and throughout the second. Clemens won the third and fourth quarters by a combined score of 3320 which propelled them to a 23-point victory.

“Hats off to Clemens, they played the district game the way a district game needs to be played in a tough district. They played tough when they got down tonight, Clemens didn’t hang their heads and point at others,” head coach Dan Miller said. They played more as a team (and) played a little harder than us. It’s not easy to say, but that was the result. The result was one team playing more together, playing harder and that’s why they pulled away.”

The Buffaloes came out strong defensively, forcing turnovers that led to a 6-2 lead midway through the first quarter prompting San Marcos to call timeout. The Rattlers turned up the intensity after talking things over, ending the period on a 10-1 run with junior guard Josiah Hollmon hitting a buzzer- beating layup that gave San Marcos a 12-7 lead.

The first half of the second quarter started off dead even at 5-5 with both teams hitting threes. The Rattlers built their lead up to 19-12, but everything changed after that. The Buffaloes found their rhythm and ended the second quarter on a 17-0 run, disrupting the Rattlers’ offense while executing their half court sets and converting in transition. The end of half spark gave Clemens a 29-19 lead at halftime.

“We got out of character a little bit in some areas tonight. We had some assignments that we were supposed to stay with defensively and one person leaves and then we’re chasing, and we got behind and we scrambled on defense. (That) led to a couple of dunks (and) a couple of threes, and then they got momentum. Then when they got momentum, I felt like we didn’t stay as a team,” Miller said. “Unity is one of our core values, another one’s toughness. I don’t think we had either one in this game today at a clip where we’re going to even be in contention against a very good team like Clemens. Which way we’re going to go from this is what it’s all about now. It wasn’t the outcome we wanted, but we have to get back to work tomorrow as a team if we want to have some goals accomplished.”

San Marcos was able to start the third quarter with a 5-4 advantage and cut the Buffaloes’ lead back to single digits, but then Clemens (22-8, 4-2) came charging back. The Buffaloes responded with a 7-2 run over the next three minutes that built their lead up to 40-26. The teams traded threes in the final two minutes, with Clemens winning the quarter 14-10 and extending their advantage to 43-29 heading into the fourth.

The Rattlers once again started the quarter strong with a 7-4 advantage two minutes into the period, cutting the Buffaloes’ lead to 47-36 and forcing Clemens to call timeout. The Buffaloes returned to what had got them their lead after the beginning of the quarter, going on a 9-3 run over the next four minutes to push their lead out to 56-39. Clemens built that run up to 15-3 until the end of the game, putting the final score at 62-39.

“Our Rattler values are extremely important (moving forward). Accountability (is) on all of us — we all have to do better. I always say it starts with me, and it goes to every member of the staff and the team and we gotta pour into it. Our district is too good to come out and want to play good for a quarter, for a half (or) for a possession. You have to be willing to dive on the floor for a basketball,” Miller said. “You have to be willing to stand in and take a charge. You have to be willing when the ref doesn’t give you a good call to get your head up and sprint down the floor. You gotta be willing when things don’t go your way and you miss a shot to stay on your assignment and not allow your guy to get an easy shot. That’s the toughness and the core values that go into life too. That’s why basketball is such a teaching sport, but tonight it just didn’t go our way.”

San Marcos (21-10, 2-4) returns home on Feb. 2 to match up with Cibolo Steele who is coming off handing New Braunfels its first loss in district play. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Snake Pit.

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