San Antonio College’s women’s basketball team is now 4-1 for the season after defeating the St. Philip’s Tigers in a 49-41 win Wednesday night at SAC’s Candler Physical Education Center.
SAC Guard Angel Castillo set the tone early with a three-pointer, and the Armadillos built momentum from there, netting a 21-15 lead in the first half.
Head Coach Abel Castillo was optimistic about the team’s performance on the court going into halftime.
“We had a couple of shots fall, but we had a lot that didn’t fall,” Castillo said. “I think the score could be a little higher for us, but one of our strategies is that we don’t try to do too much in the first half. We try to conserve our energy as much as possible so that in the second half we can put our foot on their necks.”
After halftime, Castillo’s strategy was put to the test when the Tigers tightened up their defense and caused trouble for any Armadillo unable to hold a firm grip on the ball, but SAC was still able to score consistently.
“I feel like in the beginning we were super dominant,” SAC Guard Illeana Stewart, told the Sundial. “Toward the middle of the game, we kind of lost our focus a little bit, but during the last quarter, we did pretty well.”
SAC Guard Cimphani Martinez admitted she felt the pressure from St. Philip’s defense but knew she could rely on her teammates to win the game.
“There was a play where they were trapping me as soon as I got the ball,” Martinez said. “But I kind of just knew my teammate was on the other side.”
Castillo said his top priority next week during practice will be to improve the team’s ball security.
“One of the biggest things we need to improve is our turnovers,” Castillo said. “Our girls sometimes get into a mode of going too fast, and when we go fast, many mistakes happen. They need to be able to make reads, take their time, use their pivoting, and make better passes.”
SAC’s women’s team has a bye next week but will return home to face the UIW Cardinals Nov. 6 at 6 p.m.
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