Basketball Recap: Miller Richey Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Sharyland

McAllen posted their closest win since November 2, 2024 on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 45-42 victory over the Sharyland Rattlers. This was a revenge game for the Bulldogs: when they faced off against the Rattlers back in December of 2024, they had to take a 41-40 loss.

McAllen got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Miller Richey out in front who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 12 boards. Richey has been hot recently, having posted 12 or more rebounds the last four times she's played. Dariana Luna was another key player, putting up seven points and six rebounds.

McAllen smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive boards in four consecutive contests.

When it comes to explaining why Sharyland lost, don't look at Mariajose Gomez. Despite the final result, she posted 15 points along with eight steals and five assists. With that strong performance, Gomez is now averaging an impressive 2.5 steals per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Samantha Sanchez, who went 5 of 8 on her way to 10 points.

McAllen's victory bumped their record up to 16-12. As for Sharyland, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 16-11.

McAllen and Sharyland could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Texas Rankings. McAllen (ranked 600th) will meet Rowe (ranked 223rd) at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Similarly, Sharyland (ranked 578th) will meet Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North (ranked 241st) at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.