Next game will be at Our Lady of the Lake University Nov. 4.
By Alejandro Diaz
sac-range@alamo.edu
After letting the last two games slip away, the Rangers got their first win of the season by cruising to an 89-65 victory against Palo Alto College’s Palominos Wednesday in Candler Physical Education Center.
The Rangers dominated the game and led from start to finish. After winning the tipoff, the Rangers showed efficient ball movement in their first possession, which ended with a 3-pointer by business management sophomore Chady Joukeh.
The Rangers never looked back.
That was the closest score of the game.
Unlike the last game Oct. 26 against the Northwest Vista Wildcats when the ball wouldn’t go in for the Rangers in the last minutes, this time the basket seemed to be bigger. Four players scored at least one 3-pointer in the first half.
“We made shots. Finally, everybody was hitting shots,” coach Louis Martinez said with a smile and a sigh of relief.
It was an offensive display by the Rangers, as all 10 players scored 2 points or more, with four finishing in double figures. Real estate freshman Ricky Myers led the scores with 17 points.
Myers believes the team can build on getting the first win out of the way.
“I feel like we let a couple of them slip, against Northwest Vista and UIW, so to come out and put this team away is going to help us out a lot,” Myers said.
The Rangers also lost 91-86 to the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals Oct. 21in the last two minutes.
In the first half, the Rangers led by as many as 17 points after scoring a 3-pointer seven minutes into the game that forced the Palominos to call for a timeout.
The Palominos then cut down the lead to 7 before applied science freshman Eric Contero converted a layup that stopped the bleeding for the Rangers and extended the lead to 9.
The Rangers regained control and kept their momentum going, which helped them push the lead back to double figures again, 42-26.
The Palominos finished the first half with a 7-2 run, cutting the Rangers lead to 11 and leaving the score at 44-33.
The second half started with both teams trading baskets in the first minutes until the Rangers tightened their defense, allowing them to build their lead to 20, the largest of the night so far, with 13:40 remaining.
The Rangers stayed in control, and the Palominos never got closer than 18 in the remaining minutes. The Ranger reserves got some playing time and finished the game strong, extending their lead to 24, the largest of the night.
The Rangers will have a chance to add another victory when they visit Our Lady of the Lake University at 8 p.m. Nov. 4.