By PETE BANDA
Special to the NEWS
Despite narrowly missing out on a surprise playoff birth, the Lady ’Hound basketball team managed to put together an impressive season that undoubtedly gained them respect across the Valley. While boasting one of the youngest starting lineups in team history, San Benito finished the season in fifth place for district 32-6A with a 7-7 record – just two games out of the final playoff spot. Their 17 total wins was the most they’ve had since the 2017 season and with the season over, the post-season awards have started to roll in.
Leading the way was freshman sensation Angeline Reyes, who led the team in scoring with 8.5 points per game. Reyes was named First Team All-District last week for her role in turning around the Lady ’Hounds program that won a total of five games over the last two years. In addition to leading the team in points, she also ranked first in total assists (43), steals (74), and blocks (11).
“Angelina is a very athletic and talented player,” said Lady ’Hound head coach Abel Moreno. “She can do things athletically that few girls can on the basketball court. She’s still learning how to be more efficient, but she provided a ton of offense for us this season and that is something we’ve really struggled with these last few years.”
Moreno added that what sets Reyes apart is her desire to continue to improve and develop and cites her progression as a big reason to be excited for the future of the program.
Joining Reyes on the all-district list was fellow guards Lorena Segura and Ava Garza as well as power forward Daisy Esquivel. All three made the Honorable Mention list and Moreno labeled all three as integral pieces to the team. Segura and Esquivel, both sophomores, finished third and fourth respectively in scoring. Garza, a junior, was considered by Moreno as the team’s go-to lockdown defender while being one of the better shooters on the team.
“I expected Lorena to play well after her impressive freshman year, but she showed more poise than I could have expected,” said Moreno. “She still had moments of up and down play and I think it was an adjustment for her playing with such a young team, but she evolved gradually and was playing her best basketball at the end of the season.”
Esquivel played a big role as the team’s interior presence and impressed Moreno with her gritty play while Garza was more of a pleasant surprise as her defensive intensity was something the team sorely needed.
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