The Badger basketball team has been chasing a first-round playoff win for the past three years. That goal was achieved Tuesday night in Academy with a 64-60 Lampasas win over the China Spring Cougars.
The Badgers got out to a quick start in the game, but then hit an offensive lull. Some hot shooting by the Cougars got them back in the game, and the two teams were tied at the halftime break.
The contest stayed tight with back-and-forth scoring through the third quarter, but early in the fourth quarter Ty Borchardt came off the bench and provided a spark on both ends of the floor. The momentum led to multiple stops and scores to help the Badgers stretch their lead to double digits. That swing ultimately wound up being the difference in the game, even after the Cougars made a run and tried to complete the comeback.
Borchardt spoke on how he provided a spark when he entered the game.
“I just think we were moving the ball and getting it to Beau [Patterson] to finish and playing good defense,” Borchardt said.
Beau Patterson was a standout performer for Lampasas. He scored 31 of the team’s 64 points because he presented such a size mismatch on the inside.
This game was physical down low, as so many of the Badgers’ games have been this season.
Opponents have to be physical to try and slow down Patterson, but the senior thrives in that environment. His size allows him to play with his own physicality and impose his will.
After the win, Patterson spoke about finally achieving the victory he and his teammates have been chasing.
“A win is a win. It was a gritty win, and it was a little too close [in the end], but we’re going to go celebrate this one because it was the first one,” Patterson said. “I’m glad it came, and we’ll have the 24-hour rule -- celebrate for 24, and then move on to what’s next.”
The rest of the Lampasas scoring came from Peyton Sisson with 18 points, Aidan Nuckles scored five, Jax Pratus scored four and Vince Shahan and Borchardt scored two points each.
After the win, there were things the Badgers and their coaches knew they could have done better to keep it from being such a close game. They knew they missed at least their final six free throws that would have closed out the game, but it was important for head coach Aaron Nuckles and his team to smile and celebrate the win regardless of those issues.
“It’s been a long time coming for these guys,” Nuckles said. “We were very coachable tonight. We competed our butts off tonight. We supported each other tonight. We were locked in, and we were big-time competitors. All those things that we’ve been working on all season came into play.”
The head coach also said it felt like getting over a big hurdle to finally beat the opposing district in the bidistrict playoffs, after being 0-3 going into Tuesday night.
“To get that done and we get another gold ball … it’s just some solidification on a lot of things that we’ve been trying to get done,” Nuckles said. “I don’t want to make it sound like we’re satisfied -- we’re not. We get to go do it again, but this time of year you’re just trying to make plays.”
With the win, the Badgers advance to the area round of the playoffs to take on Navasota at 7 p.m. tonight in Thrall.
The Rattlers have had a great season with a 28-3 overall record and a 10-0 district record. They are coming off a 55-39 win over Fort Bend Willowridge in the bidistrict round.
According to Nuckles, the style of basketball the Badgers will see tonight is going to be much different than what they prepared for against China Spring.
“It’s completely different,” he said of how Navasota plays. “I told them that the next preps for however long we want to play are all going to be easier preps because of what you’re fixing to get. But you’re fixing to dive deep into Region III basketball, and you have to come and play because it’s going to be tenacious.
“This is the reason we played that non-district schedule that we did, because we’re fixing to see it,” Nuckles said.
