By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR.
Special to the PRESS
This Tuesday, November 25, the 4A Port Isabel boys’ basketball team was on the road as they took on the 5A Brownsville Lopez Lobos in a non-district matchup.
The season had just begun, but the Tarpons were eager for a win after starting 0-2 with losses to Macedonian Christian (56-46) and CC Miller (66-45). Meanwhile, the Lobos were in the same boat, entering the matchup with an 0-4 record. The winner would finally get into the win column while the other team would remain winless.
On paper, the Tarpons looked to have the upper hand, and it showed as they built a comfortable 20-9 lead after the first period.
As the second period got underway, both teams got off to a slow start, with neither scoring until the five-minute mark. Strong defensive play on both sides led to several turnovers.
Offensively, both teams began to rely more on layups as they struggled with their outside shots. The Lobos chipped away at the Tarpons’ lead but still trailed 24-17 with less than two minutes to go in the first half. As the period came to an end, the Tarpons’ defense stepped up, grabbing a couple more steals and extending their lead to 31-18 at halftime.
As the second half resumed, both offenses began to find their rhythm, and Port Isabel led 35-24 with 5:32 remaining in the third. With less than two minutes left in the period, PI’s Aidan Ramos converted a 2-point play to give the Tarpons some breathing room, making it 37-29.
Lopez continued to miss most of their 3-point attempts, but strong offensive rebounding led to several second-chance points, allowing them to outscore the Tarpons 15-8 in the period. By the end of the third, the PI lead had been cut to 39-33.
The Lobos came out strong in the final stanza, taking a 41-39 lead within the first minute and a half of the fourth. But the Tarpons regrouped and retook the lead, 44-41, after Galvan sank free throws on back-to-back possessions. Lopez continued to battle but still trailed 44-42 with 3:33 left on the clock. There was some chaos down the stretch with turnovers and players diving for loose balls, but the Tarpons remained resilient and ultimately secured the 56-49 win.
Head basketball coach Gilbert Rodriguez was pleased with the victory and says he sees his team “coming together day by day.” He also noted that the team will be adding three more multi-sport athletes — Eli Alvarez, Grayson Estes, and Bryan Martinez (football) — after the holiday break.
The Tarpons hope to build on the win as they travel to Roma to take on the Gladiators on Tuesday, December 2, at 7:30 p.m.