WALLIS — The Brazos High School boy’s basketball team faced off against Victoria West High School and won handedly by pouring it on in the second half with a final score of 54-30. The game was played Dec. 7 at Brazos Middle School Gym in Wallis and things were pretty close until the second half, when Brazos made shots and found ways to convert at the rim.
“We just stayed steady with what we were doing,” said Brazos head boy’s basketball coach Jason Tucker. “That last little bit there in the second quarter, we started to share the ball a lot better than we had in the previous quarter and a half. The defense had kind of been there the whole time, but they just kind of ramped it up a little. Once the offense started scoring, the legs got a little more jumpy on the defensive end. It was a nice job by those guys coming in that second half and shutting them down there in that third quarter, really.”
Brazos shooting guard Hayden Hickman put on a stellar performance by hitting shots and also making tough baskets inside the perimeter. “Calming down after the first half,” Hickman said on the keys to his outstanding showing. “The first half, we were all excited and everything. After halftime, we sort of calmed down and passed the ball and everything.”
Brazos made a couple lay ups in the first quarter while Victoria made an and one basket, a put back layup, and a three from the wing to take a 10-7 lead at the end of the quarter. The Cougars then responded with an early three-pointer to start the second quarter before both teams traded baskets throughout the rest of the quarter. After a layup made by the Cougars at the 30 second mark, Hickman added a free throw with 14 seconds to play to take a 22-19 advantage at halftime.
Brazos surged ahead in the third quarter with two three-pointers in a row, one being from Hickman for a 35-24 lead with about two and a half minutes to play in the third quarter. Hickman went on to add a few more free throws with help from his teammates sinking field goals to make it 43-24 at the end of the third quarter.
The Cougars stretched their cushion with conversions near the paint, then Hickman cashed in two technical foul free throws and a drive to the rim in the last few minutes en route to a 54-30 victory.
