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GEORGETOWN — The Elgin High School boys varsity basketball team started 5A-District 23 play with a bang Thursday, Dec. 21 as the Wildcats won 56-54 in thrilling fashion on the road against the Patriots of Georgetown East View High School.
Senior Nathen Lewis was the hero for this Wildcats squad as his layup in the final seconds was the game-winner, giving Elgin a pivotal victory to start district play.
“Right there towards the end, Nate made some real crucial rebounds, wasn’t able to finish it, but at the end of the game he finished it when it counted,” said Wildcats Head Coach David Wilson in a postgame interview with Michael Adams of On The Sidelines Sports. “I was really happy with the way he was fighting.”
Lewis led the way all night for Elgin as he had a team-high 25 points, including 10 points in the opening quarter against the Patriots.
In a back-and-forth contest all evening, the Wildcats got off to an 18-17 lead at the end of the first quarter, were up 29-28 at halftime and held a 42-40 advantage at the end of the third quarter thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Elgin junior Amar Bermudez.
In addition to Lewis’ team-high 25 points, scoring on the night in the clutch win for Elgin were Bermudez with 10 points, junior Noddyn Bailey also in double figures with 10 points and sophomore Tyson McFarlin with eight points of his own.
Elgin has played solid team defense throughout this 2023-24 season and that continued Thursday during the victory at East View.
"That was a huge win for us,” Wilson said. “East View is a really good basketball team, they have a few good wins, so to come in and beat them at their place was huge for us. It’s a great way to start Christmas break.”
The Wildcats (12-2 overall record and 1-0 in district play) will return home Thursday, Dec. 28 at 1:30 p.m. for a non-district home game versus Austin Hyde Park High School. Elgin will remain at home Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. as the Wildcats resume district play hosting Pflugerville Connally High School and then hit the road Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. against Georgetown High School.
