By Thomas Jones, Sports Editor

NEW BRAUNFELS – Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense.

And Judson’s offense did a good enough job of playing keepaway in the fourth period to advance to the third round of the playoffs with a 57-54 win over Westlake Friday at Canyon High School.

With a mixture of tenacious defense and a lot of passing near the halfcourt line, the No. 8 Rockets (34-1) held Westlake (25-8) without a point for the first 4:55 of the fourth period of a Class 5A Region IV area playoff game. That Chap scoring drought allowed Judson to stretch a three-point lead at the end of three periods to a 53-45 advantage with 1:51 left in the game.

“A lot of teams do that to us if they get a lead, and it gets real frustrating when they start doing it so early,” Westlake senior Cliff Houston said. “We just want to play basketball, but they didn’t want to run with us.”

Once Westlake started fouling in the final two minutes, the run-and-gun Chaps did race back into the game. Judson went 4-of-9 from the foul line in that span as Westlake chipped away at the lead.

Cody Doolin, who matched junior classmate Conner Kemper for team-high honors with 16 points, started a 9-2 run with a three-point play. After a layup by Kemper and an offensive putback by Houston, Carl Meyertons dropped in a bucket that cut Westlake’s deficit to 55-54 with 18 seconds left.

Judson’s Alex Lewis then missed the backend of a pair of free throws, but teammate Robert Shaw ripped down the offensive board.

Westlake watched its hopes stay alive after Ned Cox missed another Judson free throw, but a game-tying three-pointer just before the buzzer by Doolin fell short as the Rockets ran out the final ticks on the clock.

After the game, Chap coach and Westlake graduate Tres Ellis could only lament his team’s chances after the sudden end to his first season at Westlake.

“We just made a lot of mental mistakes,” he said. “I don’t feel like they beat us. It was really on us.”

Before the game, Ellis stressed the importance of not falling behind the deliberate Rockets. But that’s just what happened after Judson reeled off a 6-0 run to take an 8-3 lead.

The Chaps could never recapture the advantage, although they pulled to within a basket on several occasions. Judson had just six turnovers in the game against Westlake’s pressure and shot 20-of-49 from the field.

Cox led the Rockets with 16 points despite twisting an ankle late in the third period.

Houston, who made all three of his three-point shots, scored 15 points in his final game for Westlake.

“It’s just been a blast this year,” he said. “I wish it wasn’t over.”

 

 

Converse Judson 57, Westlake 54

Judson      14   17   14   11  - 57 

Westlake      9     16   17   12  - 54 

Judson (35-1) – Lewis 3-4 3-5 9, Cox 5-15 2-4 16, Richardson 0-2 0-0 0, Wacker 5-12 6-7 16, Russell 1-4 0-0 2, Lagerson 0-0 0-0 0, Shaw 4-6 0-0 10, McAllister 1-4 0-2 2, McNeil 0-1 0-0 0, Timmins 0-0 0-0 0, Stewart 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 20-49 12-18 57.

Westlake (25-8) – King 0-0 0-0 0, Houston 5-6 2-2 15, Kemper 6-16 2-2 16, Doolin 6-16 3-3 16, Leeper 1-1 0-0 2, Lancashire 0-3 0-0 0, Meyertons 2-4 1-1 5, Breedlove 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-47 8-8 54.

 

3-Point goals: Judson 6-12 (Cox 4-8, Shaw 2-2, Lewis 0-1, Wacker 0-1), Westlake 5-12 (Houston 3-3, Kemper 2-5, Doolin 0-4). Rebounds: Judson 31 (Cox 9), Westlake 25 (Doolin). Assists: Judson 7 (Richardson 3), Westlake 6 (Doolin 5). Steals: Judson 1 (Russell), Westlake 3 (Doolin, King, Meyertons). Blocks: Judson 2 (Shaw, Lagerson), Westlake 2 (Leeper, Meyertons). Turnovers: Judson 6, Westlake 7. Total fouls: Judson 13, Westlake 16.