Early in Friday’s District 25-5A game against visiting Anderson, Chap coach Tres Ellis exhorted forward Conner Kemper to let the ball fly after he passed up a trey on the wing.

He didn’t have to ask twice.

Kemper nailed his first four three-point shots while scoring a game-high 29 points in Westlake’s 78-42 win over the Trojans. Seventeen of those points came in the first period, and the sudden scoring barrage from the 6-foot-6-inch senior seemed to awaken the Chaps’ explosive attack.

“Conner was trying to be unselfish early in the game, but I think everybody was playing a little hesitant,” Ellis said. “At that point, we needed him to score. That’s his shot [from the wing], so let it fire. I was hoping it would get us rolling.”

Mission accomplished. The Chaps (16-4 overall, 2-0 in District 25-5A) raced to a 23-10 lead by the end of the first period and Anderson (4-15, 0-2) never pulled within single digits.

According to Kemper, his points reflected good passing from a Chap team that collected 15 assists as well as some extra time in the gym.

“I’ve been shooting a lot by myself, trying to work on my shot,” he said. “And I’ve been shooting good recently. I thought I’d let it fly tonight.”

Kemper received plenty of help from his high-flying teammates. Carl Meyertons delivered 16 points and six rebounds in the paint, while point guard Cody Doolin dished out eight assists and scored 14 points.

Senior post Gus Leeper collected nine points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.

Several Chaps made contributions not reflected in the stat sheet, Ellis said. Sophomore guards R.J. Rowan and John Cummings came up from the junior varsity because of the absence of Hagen Fell and Keaton Lancashire and received extensive playing time. Each scored two points, and each impressed with his on-ball defense.

“They played well,” Kemper said. “R.J.’s known as a shooter, but he stepped up on defense tonight.”

Because Fell and Lancashire won’t be eligible for at least three weeks, Ellis said the varsity newcomers might be needed as the Chaps move deeper into their district slate.

“John and R.J. had a great opportunity to get some playing time in the situation we’re in,” Ellis said. “It doesn’t get easier for us, so we had a chance to work on some rotations tonight.”

The Chaps also worked on their defense. Anderson, almost match the subfreezing weather outside, shot 25 percent from the field and scored just three points in the final period. Freshman guard John Gramlich provided one bright spot with a team-high 10 points.

New and notes

Drew Wikelius, a 6-6 reserve forward, did not play against Anderson after suffering a stress fracture. He will miss 4-6 weeks. … Forward Austin Payne missed the Anderson game but should return next week, Ellis said.

Box score
Jan. 8
Westlake 78, Anderson 42

Anderson 10 18 11 3 – 42
Westlake 23 20 17 18 – 78

Anderson (4-15, 0-2) – Poole 3-9 0-0 6, Clarke 1-4 0-0 2, Townsend 1-10 0-0 2, Brownfield 1-5 3-4 5, Gluckman 2-8 2-2 6, Wilson 2-7 0-0 4, Ballee 0-3 0-0 0, Frame 0-1 0-0 0, Gramlich 4-7 0-0 10, Lauck 0-0 0-0 0, Gravelle 1-7 0–0 2, Kiely 2-4 0-0 4, Beseda 0-3 1-1 1. Totals 17-68 5-6 42.
Westlake (16-4, 2-0) – Powell 1-4 0-0 2, Meyertons 6-9 4-6 16, Kemper 10-17 7-11 29, Leeper 4-7 1-2 9, Doolin 4-10 7-10 14, Hughes 0-1 0-0 0, Rowan 0-2 2-2 2, Cummings 1-1 0-0 2, Cox 2-5 0-0 4, Vickers 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 26-56 21-31 78.

3-Point goals: Anderson 2-14 (Gramlich 2-3, Poole 0-3, Clarke 0-1, Townsend 0-2, Ballee 0-1, Gravelle 0-2, Beseda 0-2), Westlake 4-16 (Kemper 4-8, Powell 0-2, Doolin 0-3, Rowan 0-2, Cox 0-1). Rebounds: Anderson 37 (Gluckman 5, Kiely 5), Westlake 36 (Leeper 11). Assists: Anderson 3 (Kiely 2), Westlake 15 (Doolin 8). Steals: Anderson 3 (Gramlich, Townsend, Wilson), Westlake 11 (Doolin 6). Blocks: Anderson 1 (Clarke), Westlake 10 (Leeper 5). Turnovers: Anderson 16, Westlake 14. Total fouls: Anderson 20, Westlake 10.