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Eastlake boys basketball team clinches first district win of year in dramatic fashion

Felix F. Chavez, El Paso Times
·2 min read

The Eastlake boys basketball team has been on the verge of a breakout in District 1-6A.

Closes losses to Socorro, Montwood and Franklin left the Falcons at 0-4 in district, entering a must-win situation at Pebble Hills.

But the Falcons never lost faith in the program, and on Tuesday night, in their first game of 2024, they broke through in dramatic fashion against the Spartans.

Down 37-25 after a Pebble Hills 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter, the Falcons rallied for a 44-41 win on a Mateo Lares 3-pointer from the top of the key for the team's first district win of the year.

Lares got free after the Spartans were scrambling on defense and Lares was able to get a good look at the basket.

Eastlake's Mateo Lares celebrates winning the game after he made key plays late in the game helping his team defeat Pebble Hills High School on Jan. 2, 2023. Eastlake won the match 44-41.
Eastlake's Mateo Lares celebrates winning the game after he made key plays late in the game helping his team defeat Pebble Hills High School on Jan. 2, 2023. Eastlake won the match 44-41.

Pebble Hills had a chance to tie the game, but Mark Barajas' 3-pointer was off the mark as the final buzzer sounded.

"Our kids have been battling so hard and I'm just really proud of them," first-year Falcons coach Matthew Taylor said. "It's about them, they went out and made the plays to get it done. We made some big shots, the kids played hard and deserved the win."

Aaron Vargas hit a trio of 3-pointers in the final eight minutes, Tristan Edmond converted an old-fashioned three-point play and Lares had two other baskets in the final quarter to help secure the win.

"We got behind early but we didn't give up," Lares said. "Aaron is a great shooter and he was huge in the fourth quarter, he's capable of doing that all the time. Our defense helped get us back in the game and we made big shots. We got in a good rhythm."

Added Vargas: "We have come so far in the past month, our chemistry is so much better. We believe in each other. We've just kept working hard and that's what we'll need to do to have a chance to make the playoffs."

Eastlake's Lucas Brandon stops Pebble Hills' Nicholas Sapien from attempting a shot late in the fourth quarter on Jan. 2, 2023. Eastlake won the match 44-41.
Eastlake's Lucas Brandon stops Pebble Hills' Nicholas Sapien from attempting a shot late in the fourth quarter on Jan. 2, 2023. Eastlake won the match 44-41.

Tuesday's top performers

  • Donovan Mozer, Canutillo. Mozer scored 18 points in triple overtime victory against Bel Air.

  • Brandon Hymes, Chapin. Hymes scored 26 points in 75-44 win vs. Alamogordo (NM).

  • Angel Solis, Anthony. Solis scored 24 points in win vs. Fabens.

  • Sebastian Gutierrez, Montwood. Gutierrez scored 22 and had eight rebounds in win against El Dorado.

  • Danny Delgado, Socorro. Delgado scored 17 points in leading the Bulldogs past Coronado.

  • Yazmin Rios, Riverside. Rios scored 17 points in win vs. Las Cruces Centennial.

  • Mary Brooks, Americas. Brooks scored 16 points in win vs. Del Valle.

  • Mia Hairston, Montwood. She scored 16 points in win vs. El Dorado

More: El Paso prep results El Paso high school sports scoreboard, Jan. 2-6

Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X (Formerly Twitter)

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas high school basketball: Eastlake boys land win vs. Pebble Hills