By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Del Rio knew that to end a four-year playoff drought they had to put away a gritty and gutty Laredo LBJ team.
With a packed Carl P. Guys Memorial Gymnasium crowd cheering them on, including a Mighty Ram Band pep band that added to the big game feel, the Rams punched their ticket to the postseason with a convincing 67-48 win Tuesday night.
That win, coupled with a 59-50 win by Laredo Nixon over Laredo United South, sent the Rams back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season when Del Rio reached the third round before losing to South San, 54-53.
Nixon and Laredo United will share the District 30-6A title as both finished 10-2 in district. Laredo Alexander and Del Rio finished 6-6 to tie for third, but because Alexander swept the Rams during district play, the Bulldogs will take the third seed and the Rams will take fourth.
Del Rio will face either San Antonio Warren or San Antonio Brennan in the Bi-District round. Both teams are 13-2 in district and they split their season series. Both teams will also play their final regular season games Wednesday, meaning it could be late Wednesday or early Thursday before the Rams know where and when they’ll play their first round playoff game.
Del Rio took the first lead in the game and held onto it until the second quarter when Jorge Cazares scored a layup to give the Wolves a 17-15 lead. Shortly afterwards, Del Rio’s J.J. Cervantes scored on a wild layup and tied the game up.
The Rams eventually regained the lead in the second and never gave it back.
Del Rio had to survive early foul trouble by William Proffit, who went to the bench in the first quarter with two fouls but who returned at the start of the second quarter.
While Proffit sat, Del Rio’s run-and-gun offense was fueled by Nick Rivera and Alan Dobbins. The duo scored 25 of Del Rio’s 32 first half points as the Rams built a 32-23 lead by halftime.
But if the Rams were red hot in the first half, they turned ice cold in the third quarter.
Del Rio scored just seven points in the third quarter, hitting three shots from the field and making just 1-of-4 free throws.
Meanwhile, Laredo LBJ chipped away at the Rams’ lead and turned the double-digit deficit into single digits. Most of the work was done by Diego Benavides, LBJ’s imposing post player.
Benavides used his size to bull his way into the post and scored nine points in the third. He could have done more damage, but he struggled at the free throw line, hitting just one of his six attempts.
LBJ trimmed Del Rio’s lead to one point before Rivera broke loose for a layup as time expired in the third quarter, leaving the Rams up by three, 39-36, headed into the fourth quarter.
With eight minutes left between the Rams and a possible playoff berth, Del Rio wrested control of the game back from Laredo LBJ. It was combination of discipline from the free throw line and turning opportunities into attacks on the basket.
Del Rio missed just three free throws in the fourth. They made it to the line 19 times in the quarter, causing LBJ to lose players to fouls. By the end of the game, three Wolves players had fouled out.
Dobbins energized the crowd with his three-point plays, and Cervantes and Rivera did their best to make sure LBJ couldn’t focus on just one player.
With the game winding down, Rams fans began the “We want Jairo!” chant aimed at popular bench player Jairo Venegas. When Rams head coach Joe Nieto called on Venegas to enter the game, a roar came up from the Del Rio fans and marked the beginning of the end for LBJ’s playoff chances.
Del Rio turned away one last LBJ surged and Proffit wound up with the ball. He dribbled twice and then tossed the ball into the air, hopping and running down the court to celebrate with his teammates as the final buzzer sounded.
Rivera and Dobbins each finished with 23 points. Cervantes had 12 points, Proffit had five points, and Alessandro Elizondo had four points.
LBJ was led by Benavides’ 13 points. Cazares finished with 12 points, and Miguel Leija added 10 points for the Wolves.
It was a banner night for Rams basketball. The junior varsity team won in double overtime, 66-59. A late basket by LBJ sent the game to the first overtime, but Del Rio’s Brandon Ker hit a 3-pointer from just beyond half court to send the game to the second overtime.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
