By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
The Del Rio Rams basketball season is off and running … literally.
Del Rio jumped out a 19-0 lead and never looked back, rolling to a 94-71 win over the Eagle Pass C.C. Winn Mavericks in the Rams’ season opener Saturday morning at the Carl P. Guys Memorial Gymnasium.
Winn did not have an answer for the Rams’ defense early on as Del Rio turned Mavericks mistakes into points for the home team. Seven different Rams scored in the first quarter as Winn didn’t score its first points of the game until there was about four minutes left in the period.
By the time the first quarter came to an end, Del Rio led 23-12.
Winn got back into the game in the second quarter thanks to a huge discrepancy in free throws between the Mavericks and the Rams. Del Rio was whistled for six fouls in the first quarter to Winn’s one infraction, and that trend continued in the second quarter as Winn shot 13 free throws to Del Rio’s two.
The Mavericks made nine points off free throws, half of their total offensive output in the second quarter. But despite the advantage at the charity stripe, the Rams extended their lead to 15 points thanks to 12 points by Jorge Rubio in the second and a pair of 3-pointers by William Proffit.
Rubio had a big first half, scoring 18 points in the paint as Winn had no answer for his size and strength, but foul trouble limited his impact in the second half as he scored just two points and finished with 20 total.
Winn came out of halftime and turned the pressure up on Del Rio. The Mavericks, led by Josue Jimenez and Chuy Rodriguez, chipped away at the deficit and made it a 10-point game, 58-48. The Rams didn’t fold, though, behind the fearless play of Nick Rivera.
Rivera, who had eight points in the first half, exploded for 14 points in the third quarter as Winn was never able to make it a single-point deficit.
The Rams solidified their win at the free throw line in the second half. Del Rio was 0-for-4 in the first half when it came to free throws, but was 15-for-19 from the line in the second half.
Rivera led all scorers with 32 points. Proffit had 24 points including four 3-pointers. Rubio had 20 points. Joel Dominguez had 11 points, J.J. Cervantez had three points, and Alessandro Elizondo and Joe Villarreal each had two points.
Winn was led by Rodriguez’s 17 points. Josue Jimenez had 16 points, and Juan Jimenez added 15 points.
Del Rio will travel to San Angelo Tuesday to take on the Central Bobcats at 7:30 p.m.
The Rams’ next home game will be Wednesday, Nov. 24, as Del Rio hosts the Converse Judson Rockets at 1:30 p.m.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
