Friday, May 10, 2024
The Gatesville boys basketball team punctuated their non-district schedule with a 65-30 thrashing of former district foe Stephenville on Jan. 9 in Gatesville. The win followed a double-digit win at Brownwood, another former league opponent.
The win over the Lions continued Gatesville’s success in the city of Brownwood this season. They won four games in late December to capture the Texas Holiday Bank Classic in Brownwood, and their 72-60 win on Jan. 5 makes them 5-0 in the 78601 zip code this season.
The Lions – trying to avoid a loss to Gatesville for the second straight season - tried to physically bully for four quarters to no avail. They committed 25 fouls in the game, and the Hornets attempted 30 free throws. Gatesville also committed just 16 turnovers and out-rebounded Brownwood 43-33.
Rayshon Smith had perhaps his best game to date with 18 points, five rebounds, and six assists. He was also 7-for-8 from the foul line. Kase Cox had his third double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Graceson Stewart grabbed nine rebounds of his own – matching his season high. West Allman scored 15 points, while Scout Hall had seven, and Logan Biggs chipped in five.
While their record is similar to one year ago, this year’s version of the Hornets are significantly deeper. A year ago, Gatesville had regular rotation of six-players, while this year’s version has nine players who see significant minutes.
“We have gotten some really valuable minutes and experience. All those guys on the bench have gotten big minutes and made big-time plays. They have had to finish games for us and give guys a break and be solid. And we have gotten that from them,” said head coach Brit Campbell.
Brownwood cut the Hornets’ lead to 55-52 early in the fourth, but a floater from Cox made it 57-52. Two possessions later, Biggs’ harassing defense led to a Lions player receiving a technical foul, and two free throws from Charlie Winkler pushed the lead to 59-52.
The Lions cut the lead to eight at 62-54, but a three-pointer from Biggs made it 65-54. Cox would score on a layup from Evan McCracken to push the lead to 67-54 as the Hornets ran away with a twelve-point win.
Against Stephenville, the Hornets (21-4) started fast and never looked back as they routed the Yellowjackets 65-30. West Allman scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the first half as Gatesville raced out to a 16-6 first quarter lead and a 32-15 halftime advantage.
The Hornets closed the second quarter on a 6-0 run on a runner from Scout Hall, a jumper from Graceson Stewart, and a layup from Rayshon Smith.
In the third quarter they pushed their lead to twenty at 41-21 when Smith knocked down a three-pointer. In the fourth, the Hornet starters went to the bench with a 51-23 lead and 5:30 to play. From there, the Hornets second unit slammed the door shut. McCracken immediately buried a three-pointer to push the lead to 54-23.
A layup from John Hall and a three-pointer from Scout Hall ran the score to 59-25 before another bucket from John Hall made it 61-25. A Biggs runner provided the final 65-30 margin.
Cox was the only other Hornet in double digits with 16 points, while Smith added seven.
The Hornets wrap non-district play with a record of 21-4 – one game off of their pace from a season ago – and will open District 23-4A play on Friday at Connally. The Cadets were district champions a year ago and return last year’s MVP J’ylon Nobles.
“We are in a good place and we’re playing well,” said Campbell. “We play like (we did against Stephenville) and we’re going to be alright.”
