Apaches split with Memorial, La Vernia

After a dominant win over San Antonio Memorial on the road Friday, the Gonzales varsity boys basketball team returned home to host the district leader La Vernia on Tuesday night. After a fast start that gave the Apaches an early 10-point lead, the Bears went on a big second-quarter run and cruised to a commanding win at Vic Salazar Gymnasium.

The loss dropped Gonzales to 11-18 on the season and 1-3 in district play heading into an important matchup against Cuero on Friday. The Gobblers are coming off an upset win over San Antonio Kennedy, which pushed the Gobblers into the No. 2 seed in the district with a 3-1 record.

At Memorial on Friday, the Apaches shot an impressive 50% from the field and forced 35 Memorial turnovers (which led to 39 transition points). Damion Hunt had a team high 21 points, six assists, four steals and four rebounds while Danny Goodman had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Bryce Eleby scored nine points and added six rebounds while Brealien Jones had eight points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals.

The Apaches led 26-0 in the first quarter and cruised to a 71-20 win where 10 different players contributed to the scoring effort.

“We came out with the energy we needed to, played at our tempo and shared the ball really well,” Keane said. “I was proud of the way everyone contributed and how we stayed locked in for four quarters.”

Tuesday was a different story as the Apaches showed flashes of greatness early while controlling the pace of the game. But La Vernia scored 24 points off Gonzales turnovers in the second half, effectively speeding the game up and getting the Apaches out of their early rhythm.

Hunt again led the way with 20 points, four rebounds and three steals while Goodman added six points and six rebounds. Dylan Storey had six points and two steals and Jones chipped in four points, five rebounds and three steals in the loss to La Vernia.

“We got out of rhythm when we let their pressure speed us up,” Keane said. “Early on, we did some really good things, but against a team like that, you can’t give them so many extra opportunities. That’s something we have to clean up.”

Gonzales and Cuero have played a number of common opponents through the season thus far, and several games feature similar results. The Apaches will be looking to better their positioning in the playoff hunt with a win, while Cuero looks to stay in the hunt for a district title. Tip-off for the varsity boys game will be 7:30 pm at Vic Salazar Gymnasium.

“Every district game matters, and this is a big one for us,” Keane said. “We know Cuero is playing well, but our focus is on improving our execution and competing the right way. If we take care of the ball and play with a high level of intensity, we’ll give ourselves a great chance to get back on track with a win.”