By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Time is running out for the Rams basketball team to clinch a playoff spot.
Del Rio suffered its fifth district loss Tuesday night, falling 45-44 to Laredo Alexander and failing to make up any ground in the race for the postseason.
Del Rio had the lead headed into the fourth quarter, and a J.J. Cervantes gave the Rams a one-point lead late, but Alexander rallied to reclaim the lead and survived a pair of Del Rio shot attempts late.
The loss drops the Rams to 3-5 in District 30-6A. While the loss to Alexander means the Bulldogs have the head-to-head advantage over Del Rio should the two end the season tied, but the Rams haven’t officially finished the first half of district play.
Del Rio travels to Eagle Pass Wednesday to face the Eagles in a make-up game that was postponed from Jan. 14 due to COVID protocols.
Tuesday’s game couldn’t have started worse for the Rams. Del Rio did not hit a shot from the field in the first quarter, scoring four points off six free throws attempts, and the Rams found themselves down 10-4 after the opening period.
The second quarter was more Del Rio’s style. Alessandro Elizondo hit the team’s first basket from the field with 6:30 left in the first half. Del Rio would go onto outscore Alexander 19-11 in the second quarter led by eight points in the quarter from Cervantes.
It was Cervantes’ put-back with 1:20 left in half that gave the Rams their first lead of the game.
Del Rio came out strong in the third quarter, building a double-digit lead behind an 8-0 run to open the second half. It was a total team effort between Cervantes’ dish to Nick Rivera for a sweeping layup to Rivera finding Elizondo for a 3-pointer that helped the Rams build on their lead.
But Del Rio’s celebratory mood was short lived as Alexander began making up ground quickly. Nick Ordañez and Emiliano Cruz each hit 3-pointers within seconds of each other to help trim Del Rio’s lead to just two points – 34-32 – headed into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Rams’ shooting woes returned Del Rio hit just one basket from the field, but Alexander suffered a greater toll when Ordañez, who 18 points up until the fourth, suffered a lower leg injury that sent him to the bench hobbled.
But the gutty Bulldog didn’t stay gone long as he soon checked back into the game, even as his coach asked if he could play. Ordañez responded with a 3-pointer, his fifth of the game, that gave Alexander a 37-36 lead with just over five minutes left to play.
The two teams would exchange the lead several times down the stretch. Rivera hit a basket about a minute later to give Del Rio a 38-37 lead. After the Rams went ahead 40-37, Cruz hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 40-40.
The Rams again went ahead on a free throw by William Proffit, but Alexander’s Shawn Bryand muscled in a basket and hit the ensuing free throw for a three-point play to knot the game at 43-43.
Once again the Rams pulled ahead on free throws as Cervantes hit one-of-two for a 44-43 lead, but with less than a minute to play, Alexander’s Edgar Zuniga got the ball under the basket and went up for an easy shot that shot the Bulldogs back in front, 45-44.
Ordañez had a chance to ice the game as he was intentionally fouled with 11 seconds left to play, but he missed both free throws. The second miss wound up in the hands of Rivera who raced down the court, drew the defense to him, and kicked it out to Elizondo in the left corner for a potential game winning 3-pointer.
Elizondo’s shot bounced off the iron, but Cervantes grabbed it and tried for another put-back for the win. Alexander’s physical play down low forced a poor shot, but Alan Dobbins had one more chance with a wild shot that missed as the final buzzer sounded.
Ordañez led all scorers with 23 points.
Rivera finished with 15 points to lead Del Rio. Cervantes had 12, and Elizondo finished with 11. Proffit and Dobbins each had three points.
Del Rio is scheduled to head to Eagle Pass Wednesday before traveling to Laredo Friday to face United South at 7 p.m.
The Rams’ next home game will be Tuesday, Feb. 8 when Del Rio hosts Eagle Pass at 7 p.m.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
