The varsity basketball team lost the district championship game last Tuesday in a home match against Klein Forest by a score of 52 to 57.

“We didn’t have the best shooting night, but you can’t always control that,” Coach Kolby Huseman said. “Overall, we played really well. The game was down to the wire and they played back and forth the whole game.”

In preparation for the game, the team focused on defensive play and studied the strengths and weaknesses of Klein Forest to implement into their strategy.

“We looked at what we did well last time and what we could do a better job of,” Huseman said. “Big things were that Klein Forest players were very athletic and good at penetrating, so we had to stop penetration and make sure we do a good job on our defense. We were focused on controlling the tempo of the game and making them play a tougher offense than they normally do.”

Halfway through the game, the team edged ahead of Klein Forest with a lead of 25-23, and played neck-to-neck through the second half.

“We maintained the lead into the third quarter,” Basketball Captain Aiden Hemphill said. “When we got to the fourth, that’s when things started getting more difficult.”

Competition intensified into the final quarter as Klein Forest gained the upper hand in free throws and offensive plays. At just a minute remaining, Klein Forest pulled away with an eight-point lead.

“They got to us at offense rebounds, and we were allowing them to play their game” Hemphill said. “They sped us up and they got us where they wanted us.”

The team is now focused on their match against Spring High School for the bi-district playoff for the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Boys Basketball State Championships. The home game will be held tonight at 7 pm with the team confident in advancement.

“They play similar as Klein Forest plays but they’re not as good in half court,” Varsity player Tyler Hudson said. “We’ll try slowing them down and play our game.”