Basketball Recap: Mercedes Comes Up Short

Mercedes was the 41-33 winner over Weslaco East when they last played one another back in December of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Mercedes Tigers fell to the Weslaco East Wildcats 41-36. The Tigers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Despite the defeat, Mercedes saw an underclassman step up: freshman Anissa Sanchez dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten boards. That's the most rebounds Sanchez has posted since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Alina Serrano, who posted six points in addition to seven rebounds and three blocks.

Even though they lost, Mercedes smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 13 offensive boards in five consecutive games.

Weslaco East's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Lex Ybarra led the charge by dropping a double-double on 16 points and 16 boards. Ybarra has been hot, having posted nine or more rebounds the last five times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Eriana Hernandez, who had 11 points and eight rebounds.

Mercedes' loss dropped their record down to 12-16. As for Weslaco East, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-17.

Mercedes will square off against Porter at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Mercedes is facing Porter at the right time seeing as Porter is stuck on a 14-game losing streak. As for Weslaco East, they will head out to face off against Harlingen South at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Harlingen South will roll in looking for their 12th straight victory, something Weslaco East surely won't give up without a fight.