IN THE KNOW: East, West basketball teams have eyes on the prize
Originally published February 22, 2011 at 3:27 a.m., updated February 22, 2011 at 3:35 a.m.
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john hornberg/victoria advocate
The Eagles are currently riding an 18-game winning steak and have not lost since Dec. 10, 2010, a 61-54 loss to Class 3A San Antonio Sam Houston. It's worth noting that, before that winning steak, Brackenridge was just 5-9.
ABOUT FLORESVILLEPlayoff wins over C.C. Moody (64-53) and S.A. Kennedy (76-63).
The Titans and the Jaguars are extremely familiar with each other, considering they share a district. The Jaguars beat East by 13 in early January, only to lose at East by 12 in early February. Floresville (28-6) are led by Erica Hernandez, who is averaging almost 20 points per game, and Brittany Aiken, who averages about 14 points. The two account for most of the Jaguars offense.
Know where Erica Hernandez is: The junior has the ability to take over games as one of the Jaguars top shooters. It will be important for the Titans to keep her from getting comfortable from 3-point range or making something happen inside.
Run them off the court: Danielle Franklin scores 22 points on Floresville the last time the two teams met, an East win by 12 points, and did it largely by outrunning the Jaguars defense. That will be needed again from her and the rest of the Titans.
A quick look at East and West's playoff opponents for the boy's bi-district playoffs and the girl's regional quarterfinal games, and the keys to each one:
West vs. S.A. Brackenridge
About Brackenridge
The Eagles (23-9) swept through their District 29-4A season, going 16-0 for the second straight season. Fourth-year starter Craig Cardona, who averages 11.8 points per game, leads the team in the backcourt. They also got key contributions from 6-foot-8 Gabriel Taylor, who averaged 12.8 points per game, and 6-foot-7 Emmanuel Johnson, who ha 11.8 points per game.
Keys to the game
No pressure: The Eagles haven't lost a district game in two seasons, but also haven't won a playoff game in three. West, being fourth place out of a six-team district, needs to know the pressure is all on Brackenridge to make something happen.
Back to basics: The Warriors had a major let down to close out the season, and they need to get back to what was working in previous games . Pass the ball, be selective, drive to the basket and give Brackenridge nothing easy.
East boys vs. S.a. Burbank
ABOUT BURBANK
Despite being fourth place out of District 29-4A, the Bulldogs (19-14) have had their playoff spot wrapped up for several weeks. The fifth place team, San Antonio Memorial, finished three games out of the playoffs. Burbank is a better home team than on the road, struggling to just a 5-9 record away from home, but had one of the district's best records at home at 14-5. Senior guard Jacob Martinez leads the team with 14.5 points per game.
Keys to the game
Prevent a takeover: Burbank gets contributions from all over the court, but they figure to look to 5-foot-9 senior Jacob Martinez to make something happen; 6-foot-6 post Ryan Garcia also has the potential to be a key factor as well.
Don't play less than 32 minutes: The Titans have become infamous for their eight minute lulls, allowing teams with no business to play with them. That has to end starting Tuesday, especially since Burbank will likely look to slow the game down.
East girls vs. Floresville
ABOUT FLORESVILLE
Playoff wins over C.C. Moody (64-53) and S.A. Kennedy (76-63).
The Titans and the Jaguars are extremely familiar with each other, considering they share a district. The Jaguars beat East by 13 in early January, only to lose at East by 12 in early February. Floresville (28-6) are led by Erica Hernandez, who is averaging almost 20 points per game, and Brittany Aiken, who averages about 14 points. The two account for most of the Jaguars offense.
Keys
Know where Erica Hernandez is: The junior has the ability to take over games as one of the Jaguars top shooters. It will be important for the Titans to keep her from getting comfortable from 3-point range or making something happen inside.
Run them off the court: Danielle Franklin scores 22 points on Floresville the last time the two teams met, an East win by 12 points, and did it largely by outrunning the Jaguars defense. That will be needed again from her and the rest of the Titans.
West girls vs. Hidalgo
About Hidalgo
Playoff wins over Gregory-Portland (61-54) and Calallen (52-40).
The Lady Pirates (29-5) stepped up from Class 3A this year and didn't miss a beat, despite having the odds against them. Their coach resigned, their leading scorer left school and is in Houston this year. Also, all but two players are new to the team. No problem, it seems, as Hidalgo won its seven straight district title, clinching District 32-4A with a 17-1 mark.
Keys
Keep Nelly Flores in check: The junior flat out killed Gregory-Portland on Friday, scoring 31 points and gathering 20 rebounds to help the Lady Pirates secure the win. She's averaged a double-double per game (17 points per game, 10 rebounds) this season.
Turn it into a track meet: Victoria West's game is all about running, and they've done it well all season despite having only eight varsity players. This time, it could be a big difference. The The Warriors conditioning could serve them extremely well.
Comments
JLordtree says...
You would think with all this playoff advancement we would see some live coverage/chat coverage on here a la football season.
February 22, 2011 at 8:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )