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Elgin’s varsity boys basketball team proved they still have some fight left in them, claiming their first district win with a 47-42 fight over Hendrickson, Jan. 14, before falling 55-38 to Weiss, Jan. 17.
The Wildcats now sit at 12-11 overall after a promising start to the season, with a 1-5 district record.
Vs. Hendrickson
The matchup with the Hawks proved to be a defensive battle. Elgin trailed for most of the game, but a dominant fourth quarter performance saw the Wildcats rally for the victory.
Down 7-5 after the first eight minutes, Elgin managed to find its rhythm in the second period and put more points on board. Hendrickson was able to match the energy though, and maintained a 24-18 lead at halftime.
The Wildcats fought to stay within reach when they returned to the court but continued to sink down to a seven-point deficit.
It was forward Jose Arriaga who ignited Elgin’s comeback with a driving layup in the final quarter, cutting the lead to 35-30 and setting up junior point guard Tyson Mc-Farlin to follow suit with a pair of free throws. Senior center Johnathan Richard gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game, 37-35, after scoring five of his own.
Hendrickson fought back and brief ly regained the lead with a three-pointer, but senior guard Amar Bermudez answered with a jump shot to shut down their momentum. The boys closed out the night on an eight-point run, outscoring the Hawks 19-7 and earning one for their district sheet.
Bermudez scored a team-high 14 points, Richard totaled 12 and McFarlin finished the game with 10.
Vs. Weiss
Coming off of the win, Elgin saw familiar troubles return against the Wolves.
The Wildcats struggled with turnovers early, allowing Weiss to jump to an 8-2 lead.
Fast break efforts from Bermudez and solid longrange shooting from senior guard Marcos Hickman helped cut the deficit to two, and Elgin managed to keep pace throughout the first half.
Trailing 26-23 at the break, the Wildcats came out strong in the third quarter, and solid pace from Bermudez briefly pulled Elgin within one point — but Weiss was quick to respond, and an 11-3 run closed out the period at 41-32.
Elgin’s offense faltered in the fourth, scoring only six points as the Wolves pulled away.
Bermudez and McFarlin led the Wildcats’ efforts in the loss.
Elgin will next face Georgetown Jan. 21, and return home to host Pflugerville Connally Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m.
