BY GREG SELBER

MCALLEN – Now there are no more maybes, no more what ifs. It’s a fact, Memorial blasted McAllen High Friday night and the Lady Mustangs (7-0) are now leading the pack in District 31-5A.

Using a precision high-low offensive scheme to slice and dice the Lady Bulldogs (6-1) with superior size and super passing, Coach Maritza Pedroza’s club hammered The Mac 37-24 Friday night, to win for the seventh straight time in 31-5A action, in front of a raucous home crowd ready for a rare win against a bitter rival.

The murmurs had been growing louder as of late. Despite having rebounded from an uncharacteristically slow start to take their first six league games, the Lady ‘Dogs were said to be vulnerable. Smaller than normal, less experienced than in the past, but with a ton of heart and a veteran coach who can work miracles. But still, the buzz was Memorial this week.

And the Lady Mustangs did nothing to dissuade observers of the notion that they are the favorite now to take the crown. In putting the clamps on McAllen and holding it to its worst output of the district slate (came in averaging 62 per game), Memorial flat dominated from start to finish.

McHigh had a few runs, but its foe was too big, too sharp, and too focused.

“We had a lot of expectations coming into this game,” said Pedroza afterward. “I think we played a great game, the guards were great and we got the ball to our big girls inside. I am really satisfied with our effort tonight.”

As well she should be, after the backcourt stable of Rebekkah Jimenez, Taylor Stanton and Vanessa Delgado played a whale of a ball game, running the show out front and turning up the defensive pressure after grabbing a quick lead. Delgado, in particular, was spectacular, feeding 6-foot Jennifer Kowalski inside and running circles around the McHigh guards all night.

The senior speedster transferred from McAllen way back when, but said that the rivalry game was just another day at the office.

“It was no big deal, just like playing any other team,” she smiled in the aftermath, and we almost believe her. “It is really awesome to beat McHigh like this, my adrenaline is still flowing, I think. Since I’ve been here, we have only beaten them once, last year, and then we turned around and lost to them the second game. This year, we need to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

It may not happen this year, especially if the Lady ‘Stangs follow the gameplan as well as they did Friday. With Kowalski and Katie Norman flashing to the middle and presenting well, the guards had good targets to find. They did a nice job of fighting through the Lady ‘Dog pressure to drop dimes from the start. Kowalski, a big, strong junior, scored eight points in the first quarter and had it not been for two long bombs from Joanna Reyes, Memorial would have been off and running for a rout.

But the lefty junior from The Mac came through with two threes to tie it at 10, the second coming near the buzzer to end the first. Still, Memorial was doing what it set out to do.

“Our plan was to pass inside to the posts and take advantage of our height,” said Delgado, an exquisite dribbler who can also drive and convert in traffic. “We wanted to get some easy shots down low to start the game.”

Delgado got plenty of help from Jimenez, a tiny sparkplug who plays five, count them five sports for the school. She is all hair out there with a nice shock of black curls flowing behind her as she puts cross-country skills to work. Jimenez, who cannot weigh 85 pounds with an Ipod on, has zero fear of penetrating and dishing the rock, and she showed her toughness early on with a killer pick at the free-throw line to free Delgado for a drive.

Later she would negotiate her way inside to grab an offensive board for a stickback in the second half. Jimenez can handle and she never gets tired, which is a must for Memorial, which played its five starters all the way against the Lady ‘Dogs.

“We usually do that in the tough games,” commented Delgado, averaging 13 points per game this year. “We use our bench when we get ahead.”

Pedroza agreed, saying that though the bench group is strong and totally supportive when not playing, she wants to get the best five out there.

“The object is to win, and we want to have our best out there,” said the coach. “If they are not injured or in foul trouble, they expect to never come out. When the other girls get their chance, they’re ready, though.”

Delgado stole one to start the second and passed for two assists as the home side assumed a 16-10 lead. Stanton, a hard-nosed character who will knock you down in a minute, contributed three baskets as the Lady ‘Stangs surged to a 21-13 lead, with Norman, one of the team’s leading rebounders, scoring five. Memorial led by 8 at the half but knew that the proud enemy would have at least one more run to make.

It came after the break, with the Lady ‘Dogs beating the pressure and getting into their patient halfcourt set. With Memorial seeming to drag a bit, on came The Mac, determined to turn the tide.

Rugged Janel Diaz helped the charge, as did Ashley Dube, another of the small but strong guards on Casso’s roster. Soon it was just 27-23 after Diaz found room underneath among the trees.

But from here McAllen turned it over twice, failing to narrow the gap from four, and Kowalski’s free throw made it 28-23 heading to the tape.

Delgado was the star of the show in the late going, with a number of fine defensive plays; she drove baseline left and ended up on the other side of the goal for a layup and a 34-23 lead, then pulled off a slide tackle on Dube, somehow avoiding the ref’s whistle.

It was all Memorial in the fourth as The Mac managed just one point, a free throw from Diaz, while Delgado scored seven herself. They put nine in a row on the board, and it was done.

It was a defensive effort that has become commonplace for the district leader; in the three games prior to Friday’s, the Baby Blue had allowed a total of 70 points. With their athletic guards and active frontline, the Lady Mustangs laid claim to the top spot, in the first game of a doubleheader played in a manic atmosphere.

“I think maybe we got a little comfortable after such a hot start,” Delgado admitted. “But then we knew we had to pick it up. This was a huge game for us, and it was tough. But we beat them and it feels awesome!”

Tags: Basketball- Girls, mcallen memorial, mchi