Free throws crucial in 77-73 contest against East View
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Parker Gibbs goes for a layup in the Badgers’ home game against Georgetown East View. JEFF LOWE | DISPATCH RECORD
The Badgers earned the first win over a Conference 5A team in head coach Aaron Nuckles’ career on Monday, then they coasted past Austin Achieve on Tuesday.
They enter the Thanksgiving break with a 4-1 record and will return to action Monday at home against Brady.
Monday’s 77-73 victory over Georgetown East View was the third game this season decided by four points or less.
Nate Borchardt scored a career-high 35 points, giving him almost 100 (95 points) over three games.
Tak Stinnett scored 12 points and went a perfect 6-for-6 from the field.
Borchardt shot 13 of 15 from the freethrow line, and the Badgers made 30 of 42 attempts as a team, which Aaron Nuckles said probably was their best free-throw shooting in his tenure.
Stinnett scored at several crucial points in the game.
After East View went on an 11-1 spree during the first quarter, Stinnett scored to stop the Patriots’ streak.
Lampasas trailed 20-14 at the end of the first quarter.
Borchardt’s game heated up in the second quarter. After scoring one basket, he immediately stole the inbound pass and scored again to cut the Patriots’ lead to four.
He later scored again to bring the Badgers within two at 30-28. Parker Gibbs nailed a three-pointer -- the Badgers’ only one besides Borchardt’s four three’s -- to give Lampasas a 31-30 edge. Kaeden Crawford had a big shot block late in the second quarter, and Lampasas went into the break down 40-37.
Early in the third, Borchardt made a three to tie game at 40-40 and less than a minute later, he hit a three for the lead.
Landon Mulcahy went for a dunk and was fouled just about the time he reached the rim, resulting in an and-one. That rounded out an 11-0 run to start the half. East View soon took a five-point lead, but Stinnett scored the next four points for Lampasas.
Crawford hit the tying free throw, before East View added two more points to take a 57-55 lead into the final quarter.
Jacob Hogeda, Gibbs and Mulcahy put up points early in the fourth, Mulcahy took a charge, and Borchardt’s consistent freethrow shooting closed out the win.
Through five games, Borchardt averages 25.6 points per game.
“Pretty phenomenal what he’s doing now,” Nuckles said.
Borchardt’s driving ability is a new facet of his game.
“Freshman and sophomore years, it was, ‘Nate’s got to hit 3s to have a good game,’” Nuckles said. Now as a junior, “he’s figured out that he can go by people ...
“Not to take anything away from Nate, but having more consistent teammates [helps],” the coach added. “We’re playing team ball,” and the offense “is going through everybody.”
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Scoring
Nate Borchardt 35
Tak Stinnett 12
Jacob Hogeda 7
Parker Gibbs 6
Niko Lewis 6
Landon Mulcahy 5
Kaeden Crawford 3
Austin Wilson 2
Quinn Pace 1
Rebounds
Borchardt 8
Assists
Pace 2
Hogeda 2
Steals
Borchardt 4