By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Tonight, Del Rio Rams basketball fans need to be fans of Laredo Nixon as well.
Del Rio faces Laredo LBJ tonight with playoff implications high for both teams, but nearly 200 miles away, another game between Laredo United South and Laredo Nixon carries just as much weight.
Del Rio, LBJ and Laredo United South are vying for the fourth playoff spot in District 30-6A. LBJ swept the season series over South, but South split the season series with Del Rio.
Things got a little clearer Monday night when Laredo United beat LBJ to send the Wolves’ district record to 5-6. That means to make the playoffs, the Rams need to beat LBJ and then have South lose to Nixon. Del Rio beat LBJ once already this season, stopping the Wolves 73-65 back on Jan. 21.
A loss to LBJ tonight ends the Rams’ season and sends the Wolves to the playoffs regardless of the South/Nixon outcome. If Del Rio beats LBJ, and South loses to Nixon, then the Rams are in. If Del Rio beats LBJ and South beats Nixon, then Del Rio, South and Laredo Alexander will be tied at 6-6 and will either flip a coin or have a mini play-in tournament to decide the third and fourth seeds. Alexander also gets in if both LBJ and South lose. Alexander swept the season series against Del Rio and holds the tiebreaker there.
Nixon has the incentive to beat South, though. United’s win over LBJ Monday night means both they and Nixon have 9-2 district records with one game left. Tonight, United travels to Eagle Pass, which hasn’t won a district game this season, while Nixon takes on South.
No doubt there will be some scoreboard watching tonight.
The Rams moved into the playoff hunt with a 67-50 win over Eagle Pass Feb. 8.
Del Rio jumped out to a 17-7 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, building its lead to 35-13 by halftime.
A slow third quarter helped Eagle Pass cut into Del Rio’s lead, 42-28, headed into the fourth quarter, but the Rams closed out the win with 15 points in the final period including eight made free throws by William Proffit and a pair of and-one’s converted by J.J. Cervantes.
Cervantes finished the game with 23 points to lead Del Rio. He also had eight rebounds and two steals as he controlled the post.
Proffit and Nick Rivera each had 12 points. Rivera finished with three rebounds, two assist and a pair of steals, but Proffit managed to stuff the stat sheet as he pulled down nine rebounds, dished out eight assists, registered six steals and even had a block.
Alessandro Elizondo had eight points, including a pair of 3’s, while also having four steals, three assists and two rebounds. Jorge Rubio and Alan Dobbins each had six points.
Eagle Pass’ Francisco Juarez led all scorers with 31 points.
Del Rio and Laredo LBJ are scheduled to face off Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Carl P. Guys Memorial Gymnasium.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
