UTSA commit Emma Lucio powers Edinburg Vela past Flour Bluff in 5A Texas girls basketball playoffs
FALFURRIAS, Texas — In a postseason battle between a pair of state-ranked South Texas teams, No. 19 Edinburg Vela who took down No. 18 Flour Bluff 42-39 in a fierce fight in the area round of the Class 5A Texas high school girls basketball playoffs.
Both teams came in state ranked by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches after stellar regular-season campaigns.
“This is the first time and it feels tremendous but are not done yet,” Edinburg Vela head coach Lottie Zarate said about moving on to the next round.
“Our girls busted the butts out there, they played tough defense and they understood that their go to player was No. 20 (Maggie Croft) and she is a hell of a player. My hats off to Flour Bluff. They came tonight wanting it just as much as we did and I am just so happy for my kids playing through and staying composed.”
The Lady SaberCats (29-4) play Brownsville Veterans Memorial in the regional quarterfinals with the logistics to be determined later on this weekend.
Edinburg Vela, the District 31-5A champion tore through their district and were a perfect 18-0 while Flour Bluff was the third place representative from District 29-5A. The Lady SaberCats were led by senior and UTSA signee, Emma Lucio who burned the nets for a game-high 19 points.
Luicio showed every bit of why she is a a future Division I player as she attacked the basket relentlessly or pulled up for a jumper with out hesitation. She helped Edinburg Vela jump out to a 7-2 edge forcing Flour Bluff into an early time out.
The Lady Hornets (31-6) were paced by sophomore Maggie Croft who finished with 18 points, with the majority coming from the paint area. Croft was kneen with her agressive play on the block and scored at the right moment to reel Edinburg Vela back.
Edinburg Vela took a 9-6 lead at the end of the opening quarter but Flour Bluff was able to string some baskets together to knot up the game at 13-13 in the second quarter. Lucio sank a basket on a hard layup and Croft answered back with a pair of free throws.
The entire game see sawed back and forth as Edinburg Vela managed a 22-20 halftime lead as Flour Bluff junior Maddie Robinson sank a pair of free throws with 44.41 left in the half.
The Lady Sabercats came out from the 10 minute intermission with a determination that was matched by their scoring ability. Junior Janai Coleman completed a 3 point play to open the second half and was followed by five consecutive points by Lucio to give Edinburg Vela the biggest lead of the game at 10 points.
Flour Bluff called a time out at the 6:33 mark as the Lady Hornets had to regroup. Croft connected on a layup to make it a 30-22 ball game. On the ensuing trip down the court Lucio picked up her fourth foul with 4:45 left in the third quarter to send her to the bench.
The Lady Hornets took advantage of Lucio’s absence on the court and went on a 10-0 run to take a 32-30 edge heading into the fourth and final frame. Robinson connected on a basket while Croft hit her 10 point of the game and then followed it with a triple before hitting a basket with 1.01 left in the third quarter.
“I am proud of them because our seniors that are on the court, like Emma Lucio, got in foul trouble and we threw in a sophomore and junior, role players that come off the bench and I just told them to keep their composure,” Zarate said.
“Defensive stops were key. I understand that they came up and tied the game by Emma and Fey (Vasquez), our two seniors jumped right back in and they told me, we are not going to foul, just trust us. Flour Bluff played a good game but my girls pulled it through and I am extremely proud of them.”
Edinburg Vela opened the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run to take a 37-32 lead with 5:33 left in the game. Flour Bluff came back with a 4-0 run on a pair of free throws by Harlie Gallaspy and a basket by Croft as Edinburg Vela led 37-36.
Lucio hit her final basket of the night to give Edinburg Vela a 39-36 lead. They were able to exchange free throws but down the stretch Edinburg Vela held their composure and picked up the victory.
Flour Bluff held the ball in the final possession but the Lady Sabercat defense held their ground as the Lady Hornets could not get their final shot off in time.
Check out SBLive's exclusive photo gallery from the game:
PHOTO GALLERY — EDINBURG VELA 42, CORPUS CHRISTI FLOUR BLUFF 39
All photos by Clara Sandoval
