Bastrop falls to 'athletic' Pflugerville in bi-district round
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Jim Irish
Photos by Dustyn Werner
MANOR -- Playoff experience counts.
Pflugerville had the playoff experience, while Bastrop had qualified for the first time in 15 years.
The Panthers (10-22 overall) coolly dispatched the Bears 58-42 in a boys Class 5A Division II bi-district basketball contest at Manor High School on Tuesday.
They looked far better than the team that had won only nine games all season entering the playoff game. Pflugerville coach Davd Raigosa said his squad was a dismal 3-17 after the Christmas break.
They then lost a district game at home against Weiss.
"We had a come together meeting after the Weiss game. We aired some things out, and we won four (district games) in a row after that. ..."
-- Pflugerville coach David Raigosa
"We had a come together meeting after the Weiss game," Raigosa said. "We aired some things out, and we won four (district games) in a row after that. I credit the kids for doing everything they can."
Pflugerville's Jayden Johnson, a 6-foot-3 senior forward, proved almost unstoppable inside against Bastrop (17-18). He led all scorers with 23 points.
Troy Buchanan, a 5-7 shooting guard, found the range outside with 16 points.
Trent Calvert added seven points -- all in the first quarter -- as Pflugerville sprinted to a 21-8 lead at the quarter's end.
"They're super athletic... They came out and attacked us and played super physical basketball. ..."
-- Bastrop coach Daniel Hobbs
"They're super athletic...," Bastrop coach Daniel Hobbs said about Pflugerville. "They came out and attacked us and played super physical basketball. We now know how playoff basketball is. The referees kinda let you be a little more physical. That's something we'll have to grow into."
Hobbs said he played a 2-3 matchup zone against Pflugerville for three quarters and then a man-to-man defense in the fourth.
"... We had to box out, and we didn't do that."
-- Hobbs
"We didn't do as good a job as we wanted to, keeping them out of the paint," Hobbs said. "We had to box out, and we didn't do that."
Pflugerville was much disciplined on offense that Bastrop. The Panthers passed the ball and waited patiently for an open shot.
Bastrop, meanwhile, was content with either Preston Alexander or Jamarion Aldridge driving into the lane and throwing up off balance shots.
As a result, Bastrop had only four assists but committed 23 turnovers.
"We'll work on our passing and offensive flow," Hobbs said.
No one scored in double figures for Bastrop. Aldridge, a 5-6 guard, led with nine points, sinking just 2-of-13 shots from the floor and 5-of-7 free throws. He had eight turnovers.
Alexander, Bastrop's leading scorer, finished with eight points, below his 12-point average. He shot 2-of-7 from the floor. He also grabbed five rebounds and had three assists and four steals.
Brent Carter tallied seven points on 3-of-4 shooting and four rebounds but committed five turnovers.
Junior starter Diego Rangel scored two points, well his nearly seven-point average, and suffered four turnovers.
Sophomore reserve Brayden Garza, a 5-10 sophomore guard, was a bright spot, hitting both of his shots, including a 3-pointer, in the final few minutes of the game.
The best news is that Hobbs guided Bastrop to the playoffs in his first season after coaching Class 3A Rio Vista near Fort Worth the past six seasons.
"The kids haven't had a full year with me yet," Hobbs said. "I got here late in the summer. That's them trying to get used to me. I've been trying to teach them a whole new offense and defense."
Bastrop returns nine of twelve athletes from this team. The freshman team finished second in district. Hobbs expects a few of those freshmen to play varsity next season.
Pflugerville competes against Fort Bend Marshall (28-7) in the area round.
Jim Irish is a freelance writer in Bastrop, Texas
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