GIDDINGS — The La Grange High School boy’s basketball team traveled to Giddings High School Jan. 9 and went home with a win at Buffaloes Gym in Giddings by a final score of 68- 41. The Leopards had control for the entire game with their shot making and ability to create offense by good defense. “We really are trying to hang our hat on defense,” said La Grange head boy’s basketball coach Trent Collier.
“We were a little concerned with the fact that they played zone. We thought maybe they were gonna try to make it a muddy, slow-paced game. We were pretty intent on not allowing that to happen. That’s how you beat good ball clubs, just do it a little bit at a time. Giddings is wellcoached. They knew what they were trying to accomplish. We did our best to prevent them from doing that to us.”
La Grange senior center Reece Nygren had a productive night down on the block and recorded 12 points while doing it. “It’s been exciting,” Nygren said on the season. “New things, you never know what comes with it, but I feel like we’ve handled it well. We got a lot of seniors on this team, so I think we’ve bought in to the way Coach Collier has it. It’s been fun.”
After the teams tied it at four to start the game, junior guard Cordale Knapik hit a three pointer to take a 7-4 lead at the 4:10 mark in the first quarter. La Grange continued the scoring with a floater, a fast break layup, a put back layup, and another layup
off his own miss from star player Nate Scott to go ahead 15-9 at the end of the first quarter.
The Leopards stretched their lead in the second quarter at 27- 15 after sophomore Oliver Gunn nailed a jumper from near the free throw line, then Scott converted a three pointer from the top of the key with two minutes to go. Scott cashed in again at the 21 second mark as he drove middle from the wing and drew an and one basket for the final points of the quarter and a 32-19 advantage at halftime.
La Grange didn’t look back in the third quarter and kept their foot on the gas, eventually surging ahead 42-21 after two nice moves in a row on the block from Nygren. This quarter also consisted of tons of shot making and layups from the Leopards to take a 49-25 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The purple and gold were able to put it on cruise control in the fourth quarter, taking this game easily for a 68-41 victory.
