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Elgin High School’s basketball teams displayed utter dominance on the same night, but more tightly contested battles ensued later in the week.
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, the boys team hosted the Cedar Creek Eagles, and the girls traveled to take on the same school. The boys won comfortably, 63-40, as did the Lady Wildcats, who steamrolled the Eagles 55-22.
The boys game featured a back and forth battle early on as both teams were hitting their stride offensively. Wildcats guard Nathen Lewis sank three 3-pointers and scored 11 points in the first quarter, propelling the home team to a 21-18 lead.
The Elgin defense began to lock down the Eagles in the second quarter, allowing just seven points. The Wildcat offense cooled down, but they scored just enough to extend their lead to eight going into halftime.
The Wildcats’ stifling man-to-man defense continued to bother Cedar Creek in the third quarter. They gave up just four points compared to Elgin’s 17, which led to a commanding 50-29 advantage. Lewis scored seven points in the third quarter, while Marcus Hickman and Amar Bermudez knocked down clutch shots as well.
The Wildcats played smart and executed down the stretch, preventing any sort of comeback hopes for the visiting Eagles. The 23-point victory marked Elgin’s first district win as they improved to 6-17 on the season.
Lewis finished with 24 points to lead the team. Josh Sides also reached double-figures scoring with 11 points.
On Friday, Jan. 13, the girls took on the Bastrop Bears in a home matchup, and the boys were on the road.
The Lady Wildcats got off to a fast start. Sharmonique Williams knocked down a 3-pointer for the team’s first points. The Elgin defense then forced a few turnovers with their tenacious half-court press, which led to easy transition layups by Natasha Stafford and Jaylan Roberson.
The Lady Wildcats continued to turn great defense into offense, as they routinely forced turnovers and dove after loose balls. Niya Brooks blocked a shot with authority and then converted a bucket on the other end to give the home team an 11-3 lead. By the end of the first quarter, Elgin had a 13-7 advantage.
Both teams struggled to score in the second quarter, but a long-range triple by Hannah Howie gave Elgin a comfortable 9-point cushion as the first half concluded.
Roberson got things going for the Wildcats in the third quarter, showcasing a smooth Euro-step on her way to a transition bucket. Soon after, Stafford sank a 3-pointer to extend their lead to 24-10.
Bastrop’s Deanna Rodriguez fought hard to keep the score close. The senior shooting guard sank a pair of free throws and a nice jump shot. Bears guard Maggie Haywood also converted a jumper, cutting the deficit to nine. Howie drilled her second triple, however, giving the Wildcats a 27-15 lead after three quarters.
Howie continued to have the hot hand for the home team. She knocked down another 3-pointer to open up the fourth quarter, followed by a Roberson transition basket. Later, Roberson dished out a beautiful assist to Brooks. A final 3-pointer from Howie was the icing on the cake as the Lady Wildcats cruised to a 44-23 victory.
Howie was the team’s leading scorer with 14 points. Roberson had an excellent all-around performance, scoring 11 points to go along with six steals and six assists.
Meanwhile, the boys game went down to the wire. Bastrop and Elgin traded punches throughout, but the Bears ultimately prevailed to win 52-50.
The boys are now 1-4 in district play. The girls are 3-4 and knocking at the door of playoff contention. Both teams will look to climb the ranks this week as they take on Pflugerville and Hendrickson on Jan. 17 and Jan. 20.
