By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Despite her team’s slow start to the district schedule, Queens basketball head coach Marisa Soto feels her team is trending in the right direction.
The Del Rio Queens traveled to Laredo Friday night and fell to the Laredo United Lady Longhorns, 58-30, to drop to 0-3 in District 30-6A play.
The Queens are still not at full strength as injuries have forced Soto to juggle her lineups the past few games. Karolina Alderete did return to the team after missing the team’s game against United South, but no word on when the Queens will have a full team again.
While the score doesn’t reflect the Queens’ fighting spirit, Soto said defensively the team is showing significant improvement in her second year at the helm.
“We did a lot of great things on the defensive side that doesn’t reflect when you look at the score,” Soto said. “Alexia Muñiz and Alizandra Garcia played great lockdown defense and held some really great players to limited points. We are taking steps in the right direction.”
Soto even made note that Garcia was credited for taking two charges during the game, something that doesn’t usually show up in the stat sheet.
Del Rio trailed by 10 at the end of the third quarter, but United put the clamps on the Queens, outscoring them 18-0 in the fourth to turn what was a close contest into a Lady Longhorns blowout.
Joselyn Gonzalez led Del Rio with 10 points, three assists and five steals, Annette Betancourt had nine points and a season-high 19 rebounds, Makayla Lewis had six points, Alderete had three points in her return and Marina Jimenez had two points.
In other district action, LBJ (2-1) defeated Eagle Pass (0-3), 52-34; and Laredo United South (3-0) beat the Laredo Alexander Lady Bulldogs (2-1), 62-32.
South is now the lone unbeaten team in the district at 3-0. Alexander, LBJ and United are all 3-1 while the Queens and Eagle Pass are each 0-3.
With plenty of basketball left to play Soto said her players have shown no signs of giving up. On the contrary, they’re ready to fight to the end.
“The kids are still working their tails off. That’s all I can ask for,” Soto said.
Del Rio travels to Laredo tonight to face Alexander at 6:30 p.m.
The Queens’ next home game will be Friday, Jan. 20, when they host the Eagle Pass Lady Eagles at the Carl P. Guys Memorial Gymnasium at 6:30 p.m.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
