It took less than two quarters Tuesday for the Hays Rebels to serve up some old-fashioned revenge.
A 17-2 second quarter blitz provided momentum for Hays to cruise past the Lake Travis Cavaliers in a 54-31 rout at Bales Gym.
While the win pushes Hays a step closer to possibly securing a playoff berth, head coach Danny Preuss felt it also avenged two early season losses to the Cavaliers.
“I think they played with a chip on their shoulder tonight. Even when things didn’t go their way, they stuck to it and overcame some difficult moments,” Preuss said. “They did a good job.”
Strong guard play during the course of the game guided Hays’ offense.
Three Rebels finished in double figures with senior guard Choon Hee Chae scoring a game high 17 points. Junior guard Gabby Bosquez had 14 points and senior guard Jaden Williams had 11 points.
The Rebel defense, however, stole the show as the group held Lake Travis, which had averaged 50 points per game, to only 31.
Preuss said physical play and better decision making assisted with the improved defensive effort. But paying attention to detail, along with keeping Lake Travis from driving the lane, were pivotal factors for success for the Rebels, he added.
“We can score points. We have the players to score points. We needed to shut them down defensively and that’s what we did,” Preuss said.
But Hays found itself trailing 12-10 to Lake Travis after the first quarter. Lake Travis’ Aspen Howie and Nikki Paxton each scored four points in the first frame.
Enter the Rebel defense, which snuffed the life out of Lake Travis’ offense.
Hays ramped up the intensity and limited Lake Travis’ offense to two points in the second quarter. Preuss said the team was able to shut down Howie and Jordan Ott, who were the Cavaliers’ two largest scoring threats.
Meanwhile, Bosquez and Williams combined for nine of the 17 points Hays scored in the period.
Other factors included adept play from Jada Finister and Meagan Andrews in the post.
“That run pretty much knocked them out of the game,” Preuss said. “Defensively, we had a better showing tonight.”
The Rebel onslaught continued into the third quarter as Hays outscored Lake Travis 21-7. Williams, who led the team with seven points in the third quarter, had a “big night,” Preuss said.
It stemmed from her ability to do the “little things.”
“She has stepped up and has done the little things. She’s been that way for four years solid,” Preuss said.
Tuesday’s win evened Hays’ district mark at 4-4 with four games remaining. The Rebels control their own fate, as a road win over Westlake could clinch a playoff berth.
Looking ahead to the postseason, however, isn’t something Preuss is doing just yet.
“Friday is a big game, I told them,” Preuss said. “If we get two wins this week, we’re in. So the job is half done.”
