CORPUS CHRISTI - The (24-7)Ray Girls are set for their biggest game of the season as the Lady Texans will host Moody on Tuesday night with the District Championship on the line. The last time these two met, the Lady Trojans shocked Ray with a bucket in the final seconds.

And as if this matchup needed any extra fuel the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches slipped ray into the State Top 25 for the first time this season, ranking them 25th in Class 4A.

"I think we can go far this year and that motivates us to be higher than 25," said Guard Kat Bell.

And speaking of motivation Ray has found theirs in a pair of places, starting with point guard Erin Longoria who is skipped having ACL surgery in order to play her senior season.

"I didn't wanna do surgery because I have heard other stories where you could be okay and play with it, so I said it's my senior year and I am going with it," said Longoria.

Ray actually began the season without her in the starting line-up, so when she returned the Lady Texans had to make a number of personnel changes, but her teammates said having her back means everything to them.

"When she falls everyone cringes but she gets back up smiling and plays and that says a lot about her and this program I think," said Bell.

But perhaps the biggest form of motivation for these ladies is who they are playing for, as Ray has dedicated their season to fallen teammate Alex Anderson who passed away in a car accident a week before Christmas.

"I do it for her, I know I gotta go out and play my best like she would play," said Jasmine Gomez.

The girls remember Alex as a free spirit, and honor her each game by each writing her name on their wrists.

"She wanted us to win and be happy and win district and go to state all for Alex," said Gomez.

Turning inspiration into motivation, this is the Lady Texans way.

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