SequSpur
03-04-2006, 12:11 PM
:D
Basketball: Warren, Reagan meet once more
Web Posted: 03/04/2006 12:07 AM CST
Dan McCarney
Express-News Staff Writer
Twelve months later, Warren star Ben Uzoh still can't forget the sting of losing to Reagan in last year's Region IV-5A championship.
"They ended our season," Uzoh said. "I still remember the look on our seniors' faces. I still remember that feeling."
Thanks to a pair of lopsided regional semifinals Friday at the UTSA Convocation Center, Uzoh and the Warriors have an opportunity for revenge, and Reagan has an improbable opportunity to reach the state tournament for the second consecutive season.
Reagan crushed Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North 63-39, after which the Warriors pounded Harlingen 66-53 to set up a rematch in the final at noon today.
"They've been playing really well of late," said Uzoh, who scored 29 points before fouling out. "Nobody expected them to be here. There's nobody I'd rather play."
Uzoh scored 23 points in Warren's 58-45 nondistrict victory over Reagan on Dec. 6.
Both teams set up the rematch for a state tournament berth with games that followed identical scenarios — the Rio Grande Valley visitors took early leads before their San Antonio foes took command.
Trailing 14-9 late in the first quarter, Warren (29-9) took a 15-point advantage entering the fourth after hitting its first eight shots of the second half.
The Rattlers (27-11) trailed 18-14 midway through the second quarter of their game before outscoring North 49-21 the rest of the way.
Hampered by foul trouble throughout, Reagan's Cory Griffin scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half. Brandon Thompson and Nick Metzger continued their recent solid play with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Reagan, which won a tiebreaker to claim the third and final playoff berth in District 26-5A, has won nine straight.
"In some ways (I was worried), but guys have been stepping up in the playoffs," Griffin said. "I was confident they'd do it again."
North (30-6) was at its best when it slowed down the tempo and pounded the ball inside to 6-foot-5 center J.C. Herebia.
In the opening four minutes of the second quarter, the Raiders manufactured four easy layups for Herebia just by running their offense.
The fourth gave North an 18-14 lead with 4:18 minutes left in the half.
At that point, the Rattlers were ripe for an uppercut. But instead of receiving it, they delivered a 10-0 run to finish the half. Metzger started the surge, stealing a lazy inbounds pass and spinning in for a layup.
Despite the lopsided margin, the Rattlers had a brief scare midway through the third when Griffin picked up his third and fourth fouls in quick succession.
They hardly missed him. Metzger finished the period with eight points, then Thompson scored eight in the fourth as Reagan sped away.
"We had everything we wanted," North coach Jaime Gongora said. "Griffin was in foul trouble, (Phillip) Wilson was off, we had the lead. We just broke down
Basketball: Warren, Reagan meet once more
Web Posted: 03/04/2006 12:07 AM CST
Dan McCarney
Express-News Staff Writer
Twelve months later, Warren star Ben Uzoh still can't forget the sting of losing to Reagan in last year's Region IV-5A championship.
"They ended our season," Uzoh said. "I still remember the look on our seniors' faces. I still remember that feeling."
Thanks to a pair of lopsided regional semifinals Friday at the UTSA Convocation Center, Uzoh and the Warriors have an opportunity for revenge, and Reagan has an improbable opportunity to reach the state tournament for the second consecutive season.
Reagan crushed Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North 63-39, after which the Warriors pounded Harlingen 66-53 to set up a rematch in the final at noon today.
"They've been playing really well of late," said Uzoh, who scored 29 points before fouling out. "Nobody expected them to be here. There's nobody I'd rather play."
Uzoh scored 23 points in Warren's 58-45 nondistrict victory over Reagan on Dec. 6.
Both teams set up the rematch for a state tournament berth with games that followed identical scenarios — the Rio Grande Valley visitors took early leads before their San Antonio foes took command.
Trailing 14-9 late in the first quarter, Warren (29-9) took a 15-point advantage entering the fourth after hitting its first eight shots of the second half.
The Rattlers (27-11) trailed 18-14 midway through the second quarter of their game before outscoring North 49-21 the rest of the way.
Hampered by foul trouble throughout, Reagan's Cory Griffin scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half. Brandon Thompson and Nick Metzger continued their recent solid play with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Reagan, which won a tiebreaker to claim the third and final playoff berth in District 26-5A, has won nine straight.
"In some ways (I was worried), but guys have been stepping up in the playoffs," Griffin said. "I was confident they'd do it again."
North (30-6) was at its best when it slowed down the tempo and pounded the ball inside to 6-foot-5 center J.C. Herebia.
In the opening four minutes of the second quarter, the Raiders manufactured four easy layups for Herebia just by running their offense.
The fourth gave North an 18-14 lead with 4:18 minutes left in the half.
At that point, the Rattlers were ripe for an uppercut. But instead of receiving it, they delivered a 10-0 run to finish the half. Metzger started the surge, stealing a lazy inbounds pass and spinning in for a layup.
Despite the lopsided margin, the Rattlers had a brief scare midway through the third when Griffin picked up his third and fourth fouls in quick succession.
They hardly missed him. Metzger finished the period with eight points, then Thompson scored eight in the fourth as Reagan sped away.
"We had everything we wanted," North coach Jaime Gongora said. "Griffin was in foul trouble, (Phillip) Wilson was off, we had the lead. We just broke down