Americas girls basketball team remains undefeated with win at Franklin
Americas was facing a stern challenge from defending District 1-6A girls basketball champion Franklin on the road on Tuesday night.
Down 54-53 late in the fourth quarter, the Trailblazers rose to the challenge, scored the final 13 points of the game for a 66-54 win and stayed perfect with a 10-0 overall mark and more importantly a 2-0 record in district play. Timar Alexander and Kaylan Medrano helped lead the way with five and six points, respectively, to help close out the game.
"We stayed in it, it was about staying composed," Alexander said. "Our coach says never let the moment be to big to do the little things."
Alexander scored 19 points and was strong in the paint all night. She had trouble at times with shots in close but hung tough and made the shots when it mattered most.
"My teammates worked hard and I knew I had to continue to match their effort and continue to work," Alexander said.
Kaylan Medrano led the Trailblazers with 20 points and Kylie Marquez scored 17. Americas needed every point from its big three on Tuesday night as Franklin countered with Emma Balsiger's 22 points and Caitlynn Clark's 19 points. The Cougars entered Tuesday's game having gone 43-2 in district play in its last 45 league games, including a 14-0 mark two years ago and a 16-0 record last year.
"We've grown a lot from last year," Medrano said. "We continue to fight hard and learn. It's taken work to get the chemistry we want. But we can still get better."
The Trailblazers are off the rest of the week, then get back into district play next week and compete in the McDonald's Tournament next weekend. A late December trip to Canyon for a tournament is also in play for Americas, where it expects another round of tough games.
"We continue to grow and we continue to work hard," Trailblazers coach Teisha King said. "Our district is tough, there are no easy games. It was a battle against Franklin and we showed maturity."
Tuesday's top girls performers
Jordan Sapien, Pebble Hills. Sapien scored the 1,000th point of her career in a home game against El Dorado.
Jordyn Hernandez, Burges. Hernandez scored 29 points in win vs. Clint.
Elise Alva, Hanks. Alva had 13 points and dished out 10 assists in win vs. Irvin.
Amaris Ambriz, El Paso High. Ambriz scored 17 points in victory against Bowie.
Alicia Rivera, Ysleta. Rivera scored 16 points in win vs. Anthony.
Mia Hairston, Montwood. She scored 23 points in district win vs. Socorro.
Evani Valdez, Eastlake. Valdez played a key role in the Falcons' District 1-6A win against Coronado with 12 points.
More: Americas boys hold off Andress The Americas boys basketball team is off to 8-0 start after Monday win vs. Andress
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X (Formerly Twitter)
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Trailblazers defeat defending District 1-6A basketball champ on road
