The Rattlers took down Buda Johnson 68-58 on Wednesday night to snap a four-game losing streak and earn their second district win of the season.
“I’m just happy to get a win, it’s been a little drought (in district) since the first game,” said San Marcos head coach Dan Miller. “Now we just got to try to build off it, but I’m proud of the guys. One thing about this group is they never give up.”
Buda Johnson started with an early 5-0 lead as San Marcos struggled to get the lid off the rim early.
The Rattlers settled in, finishing the quarter on a 15-4 run behind five points from Cash Good, and three points each from Josiah Hollman and Peter Aguilar.
The Rattlers worked to stretch their lead in a low-scoring second quarter. San Marcos switched to a zone defense, preventing Johnson from getting many open shots offensively.
Josiah Hollman connected on a pair of three pointers to lead the Rattlers to a 27-17 halftime lead over the Jaguars.
The Rattlers settled in offensively in the third quarter, senior Donovan Riddick got the scoring started with the first six points for San Marcos on a three-point play at the rim, and a three-pointer the following possession.
The Rattlers lead got as high as 13 after Cash Good converted on two free throws to make it 41-28. The Jaguars brought the game back within single digits late in the quarter, but Josiah Hollmon banked in a mid-range jumper at the buzzer to give San Marcos a 46-35 lead going into the fourth.
The Rattlers delivered a massive blow to the Jaguars to open the fourth, Donovan Riddick took the ball to the rim for a layup, followed by back-to-back three-pointers by Riddick and Hollmon that made it 54-35 Rattlers.
Johnson slowly whittled the score back down, taking the ball inside and drawing fouls, but it was not enough as the Rattlers cruised to a 68-58 victory.
The win improved San Marcos’ record to 16-14, and 2-5 in district play.
Next on the schedule is a road trip to take on Schertz Clemens, who narrowly beat the Rattlers 87-82 the first time they played.
“They’re a very talented team,” said Miller. “We played great, we were really hurt that we let that one get away.”
San Marcos will look to avenge the earlier loss to Clemens on Friday.
