GLCPS Royals Finish Strong Against Rising Tide
By Eric Santos, Sports Illustrated writer and GLCPS multilingual language teacher
The GLCPS Royals took a 55-38 loss to the Rising Tide Herons in their second game of the season. Rising Tide’s three-point shooting and fast-paced scoring led to a 32-11 lead at halftime, but GLCPS countered with stronger defensive pressure and motion offense as the game progressed.
Guided by head coach Jonathan Dyer, the Royals returned from intermission with an upbeat synergy that electrified the home crowd at the Dennison Memorial Center. The Royals would go on to outscore the Herons 27-23 in the second half.
Ezven Cruz Mendez recorded a double-double with a team-high 12 points and 11 rebounds. He credited his teammates for the strong performance.
“It’s not only me. It’s me and my teammates. I couldn’t have done it without them,” said Cruz Mendez. “We had our offense going. We had good defense, with our 2-3 zone. There were no threes. That’s what we’ve gotta do.”
Jaiden Andrade had six points and two steals for the Royals. Ishmael Martinez added five points and two steals. Adrian Alves scored four points, and Jeremiah Martinez Osorio sank the team’s lone three-pointer.
Xavier Echevarria Mojica finished with five points, four rebounds, and two assists. He plans to continue sharpening his skills as a key contributor to GLCPS’ frontcourt.
“I’m going to practice jumping higher, so that I can dunk for the team and help support them as a pillar,” he said.
GLCPS’ next game is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14 against Kings Academy.
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