Going into Friday’s night game, the Rockdale Tiger basketball team had no idea that Lorena, the team they were about to face, was Class 3A’s fourth-ranked team in the latest Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ poll.
“To be quite honest, I’m a little unconventional when it comes to coaching,” said Sean Lexima, RHS head basketball coach. “I don’t look at (rankings), so I had no idea they were ranked number four. My guys didn’t either, and they played like it.”
Although the Leopards displayed dominance early, the Tigers held their own as Chris Perez scored 15 points in the opening half. With the help of five three-pointers made throughout the first two quarters, RHS stayed in reach of Lorena, trailing 38-30 at halftime.
In the third, the tone of the game shifted as the Leopards sprinted away with the lead. Hitting multiple threes and taking advantage of Tiger turnovers, LHS led by more than 20 at the end of the third and went on to win, 73-53.
“We just can’t turn over the basketball ball,” Lexima said. “That’s been our Achilles’ heel all season and it’s not that anybody has been doing it to us, we’re doing it to ourselves. If we figure that out, we’re a heck of a basketball team.”
Momentum seemed to shift early in the third when Tiger senior Robert Owens was given a technical after expressing slight frustration when no foul was called as he endured bodily contact on an attempted layup.
“We came out and we were down eight at the half,” Lexima said. “And we came out and turned the ball over probably five to eight times.”
“My guy (Owens) got very frustrated,” the coach added. “He doesn’t act like that and he’s a great kid. But he’s frustrated when he’s not getting calls driving to the rim. It gets frustrating for these young men.”
Despite a lopsided final score, the Tigers battled, pressing the Leopard offense on both ends of the court until the final five seconds of the game. Lexima was happy to see the effort his team gave.
“I love these kids,” he said. “It’s my first year as a head coach and it’s been amazing.”
“These are my guys. Win, lose or draw, they get put in a wringer and they come back and work the next day,” he added. “I’m incredibly proud of them, their intensity and how they approach the game.” Perez led the Tigers with 17 while Tim Grice, who has spent much of the season on the junior varsity, ended the night with 14. Rockdale was without starting point guard Gerren Marrero, who rolled his ankle during the team’s 70-54 loss in McGregor this past Tuesday. Lexima said this was not the same ankle Marrero injured this past football season.
THIS WEEK— On Tuesday, RHS was host to Troy on Tuesday after press time and travel to Rogers on Friday to face the Eagles.
The Bell County squad is 1-2 in district play w ith l osses t o 2 021-22 p layoff t eams Cameron (65-56) and Academy (47-43). Their only district victory was this past Friday in Lexington, 52-50.
The Tigers lost to LHS, 64-62, in a game where the outcome was decided in its final moments.
Tip-off i n R ogers i s s cheduled f or 7 :30 p.m.
LADY TIGERS— Similar to the Tigers, the Lady Tigers also dealt with the challenge of facing a ranked opponent.
Lorena led 16-6 at the end of the first quarter but turned up the volume in the second quarter. LHS unleashed a full-court press that resulted in numerous turnovers and made it difficult for the Lady Tigers to score.
The Lady Leopards, who were ranked eighth in the latest TABC poll, went on to win, 61-20. RHS senior Saige Robertson led the team with nine points. Leading scorer Ciara Miles played on Friday night, but was not running the offense. Miles, who put up more than 20 points in many of the team’s pre-district contests, sprained a ligament in her knee during the team’s second district game on Dec. 16.
LAST WEEK— Three days before their matchup with Lorena, the Lady Tigers picked up their second district victory after taking down McGregor on the road, 44-40.
Freshman Trinity Hurd led the team in scoring with 14 while Mijah Crawford had 10 and Robertson scored nine.
THIS WEEK— The Lady Tigers faced Troy on Tuesday after press time and conclude the first round of their district slate on Friday, when they travel to Rogers.
Like the Lady Tigers, the Lady Eagles are 2-3 in district games with wins over Cameron (43-28) and Lexington (49-27) and losses to Lorena (53-30), Academy (55-32) and Troy (51-40).
Tip-off between the two schools is at 6:15 p.m.
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