Sharyland is 1-9 against Vela since December of 2014 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Sharyland Rattlers will be staying on the road to face off against the Vela Sabercats at 6:00 p.m. on January 16th. Sharyland will be strutting in after a victory while Vela will be coming in after a loss.
Last Tuesday, Sharyland was able to grind out a solid victory over Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial, taking the game 36-24. The win was just what Sharyland needed coming off of a 41-17 loss in their prior matchup.
Sharyland's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Samantha Sanchez, who scored ten points along with seven rebounds and three blocks, and Mariajose Campos, who scored 18 points along with seven rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Sanchez has scored all season.
Meanwhile, Vela was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 48-43 to McAllen Memorial. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Vela came into the contest with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 258th, while McAllen Memorial is ranked 689th).
Vela's defeat came about despite a quality game from Gg Betancourt, who scored 23 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Tovar, who scored 11 points.
Sharyland's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 5-18. As for Vela, their loss dropped their record down to 23-5.
Things could have been worse for Sharyland, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 53-34 loss to Vela in their previous matchup back in December of 2023. Can Sharyland avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
