Girls basketball: Chaps topple district Goliath in OT

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A wild Westlake celebration after the final whistle matched the magnitude of the team’s achievement.

In their biggest home win in Keith Smith’s six-year tenure as head coach, the Chaps toppled district Goliath Pflugerville 56-50 to stay alive in the chase for the 25-5A title.

In doing so, said Smith, his team proved something to themselves as well as the rest of Region IV.

“Our girls wanted it tonight, and they showed what they can do when they play all 36 minutes like we had to,” he said. “It’s a big win for our program, no doubt.”

The Chaps (21-6, 7-2) won despite committing 25 turnovers against the relentless pressure defense from No. 12 Pflugerville (21-5, 8-1).

However, unlike their first meeting with the Panthers that ended with a 69-53 loss, Westlake refused to wilt against the Panther defense. Only five of the Chaps’ turnovers came in the fourth period and overtime.

“We took care of the ball when we had to,” Smith said. “That was probably the biggest reason that we won the game.”

That, along with a heavy dose of defense in the extra four minutes.

Pflugerville tied the game at 48-48 in regulation on a three-pointer from Adesuwa Ebomwonyi with 12 seconds left in the game. However, Chap post Courtney Duever scored a quick layup in overtime and anchored a defense that refused to allow an easy basket.

Duever, who paced Westlake with 20 points and 12 rebounds, had two of her four blocks in the extra time. Guard Cherrell Mays drew a charge after sinking a pair of free throws and a layup, and Kayla Ball snuffed a late Panther possession with a steal.

“Defense won this for us,” said an exuberant Duever after the game. “It’s a great win and one we’ve been waiting for, and we wouldn’t have won it without getting stops.”

Duever and Mays (17 points) led a Westlake offense that overcame its turnovers with 52-percent shooting.

In comparison, Pflugerville leaned more on quantity than quality to stay in the game. The Panthers fired off 14 more shots that Westlake but had four less field goals.

Westlake led for most of the second period before a Panther run gave Pflugerville a 26-25 halftime lead. Pflugerville then opened the second half with a 7-2 spurt, but Duever had two baskets and a free throw to help the Chaps pull within 37-34 late in the third period.

The Chaps didn’t take the lead in the second half until a three-pointer from Hannah Coley with 2 minutes, 53 seconds left in regulation.

Ebomwonyi led Pflugerville with 17 points and nine rebounds and accounted for five of the Panthers’ nine points in the fourth period and overtime.

Jan. 22
Westlake 56, Pflugerville 50

Pflugerville 14 12 15 7 2 – 50
Westlake 17 8 11 12 8 – 56

Pflugerville (21-5, 8-1) – Ebomwanyi 7-16 2-2 17, Mooney 3-14 4-5 10, Woods 1-3 1-2 4, Taylor 5-19 3-3 13, Hyder 0-1 1-2 1, Cleveland 1-1 0-0 2, Booth 0-0 0-0 0, Booker 0-1 1-2 1, Yett 1-1 0-0 2, Burton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-56 12-16 50.

Westlake (21-6, 7-2) – Mays 5-7 4-5 17, Coley 2-10 0-0 5, Ball 3-6 0-0 6, Ambrose 1-2 1-2 4, Duever 9-14 2-3 20, Grace 2-2 0-0 4, Minutaglio 0-1 0-0 0, Manzano 0-0 0-0 0, Davis 0-1 0-0 0, Bell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-42 7-10 56.

3-Point goals: Pflugerville 2-10 (Ebomwanyi 1-2, Woods 1-3, Booth 0-1, Mooney 0-4), Westlake 2-11 (Ambrose 1-2, Coley 1-6, Minutaglio 0-1, Duever 0-1). Rebounds: Pflugerville 25 (Ebomwanyi 9), Westlake 31 (Duever 12). Assists: Pflugerville 3 (Mooney 2), Westlake 11 (Coley 5). Steals: Pflugerville 10 (Ebomwanyi 5), Westlake 7 (Ball 3). Blocks: Pflugerville 0, Westlake 5 (Duever 4). Turnovers: Pflugerville 14, Westlake 25. Total fouls: Pflugerville 15, Westlake 18.