SA Veterans Memorial Holds Off Timberview; 1 Win From Finishing What It Started
It's official! After a back-and-forth battle with Mansfield Timberview, San Antonio Veterans Memorial gets its second shot at a UIL state girls basketball title in only its third varsity season. Texas A&M signee and VYPE Player of the Game Sahara Jones attacked the basket throughout the Patriots' 45-44 UIL 5A state semifinal win at San Antonio's Alamodome. Her game-high 18 points paved the way to the Pats earning a win against a fellow top 10 team in the state.
San Antonio Veterans Memorial has leaned on Class of 2020 players Jones, Brenna Perez and Vivian Castro for three seasons and it's resulted in three straight 30-win seasons, a UIL 4A state runner-up finish during the 2017-2018 season and an appearance in the 2019-2020 UIL 5A state championship game. Perez and Castro also contributed important outings on Thursday, as evident by their eight and six-point totals.
"They played as sophomores here," San Antonio Veterans Memorial coach Christina Camacho said of the Class of 2020's performance on Thursday. "They knew what it took."
Another chapter can be written if the Patriots beat a hot Frisco Liberty squad that came back against College Station to win its Thursday state semifinal match 44-41 in overtime.
"We have no choice but to finish," said Sahara Jones. "We don't like losing. We didn't like the feeling [of 2018], so now we're going to come out, do what we're supposed to do and get the win."
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