News|Opinion|Home Page|Archives Menu|Classified|Advertising|Monahans|
The Pecos Eagles still have a ways to go to catch the Big Spring Steers
in girls' basketball, but the Eagles did close out their 1996-97 season
with a few bright spots against the six-time defending District 4-4A
champs before losing by a 69-46 final score Friday night at the Pecos
High School gym.
On Jan. 16, the Eagles were down at one point by a 39-2 score on the
way to an 89-31 loss to the Steers. This time, it took just 2½ minutes
for Pecos to put in four points, and they even held the lead three
times, before the Steers took control in the second period.
"That's where we kept getting killed, there (near the basket) and on
the fast break," Eagles' coach Patty Hall said. "We also gave them too
many points on free throws, but overall I was real proud of the way we
came back today. We showed a lot more character this time."
Guard Keesha Lott got most of the points off fast breaks, leading the
Steers with 16 points, while Kim Robertson (14 points) and Traci
Bellinghausen (12) were able to score inside during an 17-3 run in the
second period which turned a 14-8 lead into a 31-11 advantage.
But unlike their first meeting, the Eagles did have a streak of their
own, off turnovers late in the second period. Lori Marquez and Veronica
Carrasco scored six straight points, four off turnovers, to cut the lead
back to 14, and the lead stayed in that area until late in the third
period, when Cara Hughes got hot from 3-point range. She had four 3s,
two in an 11-2 streak that widened the margin to 57-28.
Hughes would have four 3-pointers in the game, while the Eagles, who
had just six in their first nine district games, got two in the
late-going -- from Lori Marquez, who led all scorers with 18, and from
guard Marisol Arenivas, who played her first game since mid-December due
to grades.
Carrasco, the only senior in the Eagles' lineup, was next in scoring
for Pecos with 8, and the Eagles ended the season with a 1-9 record in
district, 6-17 on the season.
Big Spring finished district a perfect 10-0, earning them a first round
bye in the Class 4A playoffs. They'll probably face Canyon Randall or
Frenship next week in the area round of the playoffs.
BIG SPRING (69)
McWhirter 3 0-0 6; Lott 7 2-3 16; Purcell 0 0-0 0; Bellinghausen 6 0-0
12; Robertson 6 2-4 14; Hughes 5 0-0 14; Martinez 0 1-4 1; Cole 1 4-5 6.
Totals 28 9-16 69.
PECOS (46)
Arenivas 2 0-2 5; Carrasco 3 2-5 8; Levario 0 0-0 0; A. Marquez 3 0-0 6;
Armastrong 2 0-0 4; L. Marquez 8 1-2 18; Bell 1 0-2 2; Thorp 1 1-2 3.
Totals 20 4-13 46.
Big Spring 11 24 15 19 --69
Pecos 6 14 8 18 --46
3-point goals: Big Spring 4 (Hughes 4), Pecos 2 (Arenivas, L. Marquez).
Fouled out: None. Total fouls: Big Spring 16, Pecos 17.
Pecos, which has struggled to reach 50 percent shooting from the foul
line this season, was 6-for-15 there on Friday against the Big Spring
Steers. And after missing a chance to cut a five-point Steers' lead to
two from the line late in the third period, the Eagles were outscored by
Big Spring 29-12 the rest of the way, as the Steers took sole possession
of second in the District standings with a 76-54 victory.
"We're still a young team, that's all," said Eagles' coach Mike Sadler.
"When the going gets a little tough and there's a little adversity, we
just haven't been there enough times to handle it."
Fabien Adame had a strong game inside for the Eagles, finishing with 22
points, including a series of lane jumpers in the first half. Another
came from the foul line with 2½ minutes left in the third period to give
the Eagles a 42-41 lead.
But the Eagles' leading scorer, Omar Hinojos, continued his recent
struggles from the foul line. After Big Spring scored six straight
points to grab a 47-42 lead, Hinojos was fouled by Tory Mitchell on a
shot behind the three point line. But the junior missed all three shots
from the line, after which Aaron Bristow would hit a lay-up in the
closing seconds of the quarter, and Justin Myers would sink one of his
four 3-pointers to open the fourth quarter, giving Big Spring a 52-42
lead.
"We're getting the right person to the line. It's just a matter of
concentration," Sadler said. "Defensively, Hector (Garcia), Eric (Abila)
and Jay (Abila) did a good job spotting up on (John) Smith after the
first quarter, and we shut them down for a while. Jay got into foul
trouble, but Hector did a good job, the Myers got hot and we had to push
out on him."
"You've got to credit Big Spring. They did a good job with their
outside shooting and their backside rebounding," Sadler added. The
Steers also helped themselves from the line, shooting 86 percent
(18-for-21) in the game.
Pecos' Jacob Chavez had come off the bench to hit four 3-pointers in
the Eagles' Jan. 16 game at Big Spring. He got the start on Tuesday and
hit four more 3s, two at the start of the second period, when the Eagles
grabbed a brief 21-20 lead.
Smith and Bristow then led the Steers on an 11-0 run that gave them
their first double-digit lead, before a 3-pointers by Eric Abila and a
jumper by Adame cut the lead back to five at halftime.
Big Spring would open the second half with a 6-0 run to go ahead by 11,
before Chavez' final 3-pointer of the night started Pecos on a 16-4 run
capped by Adame's jumper.
Smith, who finished with 18 points, got loose again after Myers' 3 to
open the final period. He hit from the foul line, then added a pair of
lay-ups around one by Chad Warren, raising the Steers' lead to 16. The
lead held there for the next three minutes, before the Steers outscored
the Eagles 9-3 in the final 90 seconds to finish with the 22-point
victory.
Chavez, with 12 points, was the only other Eagle in double figures,
while Myers joined Smith with 18 points and Warren added 13, as the
Steers improved to 5-3 in district, 12-14 overall.
Pecos dropped to 1-7 in district and 8-14 on the season, going into
their final home game, Tuesday night against Fort Stockton. The
Panthers, who upset Sweetwater last Tuesday, lost at Andrews 78-52,
while Lake View also fell out of a tie for second, falling to the
district-leading Mustangs, 91-45.
Big Spring also won Friday's junior varsity game, 82-56. Frank Perea
had 13 points to lead Pecos.
BIG SPRING (78)
Smith 7 4-5 18; Myers 5 4-4 18; Hilario 0 0-0 0; Mitchell 2 0-0 4;
Warren 5 3-3 13; Massingill 0 2-2 2; Wollenzein 4 0-0 8; Bristow 2 4-5
8; Foresyth 2 1-2 5 Totals 27 18-21 76.
PECOS (54)
Herrera 0 0-0 0; E. Abila 2 0-0 6; J. Abila 1 0-0 2; Luna 0 0-0 0;
Martinez 1 1-2 3; Hinojos 4 1-7 9; Garcia 0 0-0 0; Adame 9 4-6 22;
Marquez 0 0-0 0; Navarrete 0 0-0 0; Chavez 4 0-0 12. Totals 21 6-15 54.
Big Spring 18 13 18 27 --76
Pecos 13 13 16 12 --54
3-point goals: Big Spring 4 (Myers 4), Pecos 6 (Chavez 4, E. Abila 2).
Fouled out: Big Spring, Wallenzein. Total fouls: Big Spring 14, Pecos 18.
Pecos played in the Orange Division of the 24-team tournament and won a
one-hole playoff over Big Spring to take second behind Hereford, with a
424-384-808 score.
"It was a 10 player playoff, their five against our five, and we just
dropped the highest score for that hole," said Eagles' coach Tina
Hendrick.
All the district teams except Sweetwater were at San Angelo, but last
year's regional qualifiers, Fort Stockton and Andrews, were in the Blue
Division, where they placed fifth and sixth with 704 and 736 team scores
respectively. Tournament co-host Lake View was eighth in the Orange
Division with an 849 total.
Hereford won the Orange Division, with a 393-365-758 score, while the
Central Bobcats took the tougher Blue Division title, with a
352-335-687. Pecos' 808 score put them 11th overall out of the 24 teams.
"We played what division we wanted to be in and what course we wanted
to play," Hendrick said. Their division played at San Angelo Country
Club on Friday, and then at the Riverside Golf Club on Saturday. The
Blue Division played at Bentwood Friday, then at Riverside on Saturday.
"San Angelo was the tougher course. Out of 59 girls, only six broke 100
on the first day," the Eagles' coach said. "Out of 18 holes they have
water in play on 12 of them, and with the sand traps it's just a harder
course."
Individually, senior Lindley Workman had the fifth best score in the
Orange Division, a 99-87-186, while Alva Alvarez tied for ninth, with a
101-94-195 total. Among the other Pecos golfers, Anica Garcia shot a
107-95-202, Amanda Hernandez had a 112-95-208, and Kristen Evans shot a
117-113-220.
"They did real well, and I think that it will build confidence in
themselves and in the team," Hendrick said.
Return to top
State and Regional Sports Pages--San Angelo Standard-Times
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall
not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or
redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP
Materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for
personal and non-commercial use. The AP will not be held liable for
any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the
transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages
arising from any of the foregoing.
Copyright 1997 by Pecos Enterprise
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@bitstreet.com
Return to Sports Menu