On the night of Jan. 17, the varsity boys basketball team (4-1) took on the Pflugerville Panthers (4-1). The Warriors recovered from a shaky start, but came back to win 64-61 and gave the Panthers their first district loss.

To begin the game, Pflugerville scored within the first seconds, but not long after, Mason Flood ‘19 put the Warriors on the board with a layup. The Panthers put up a tough defense against the Warriors that prohibited them from scoring as much. The quick ball movements orchestrated by point guard Brandon Parks ‘20, allowed for some movement to the basket. However, due to multiple turnovers, the Warriors reamined down 10-18 at the end of the first quarter.

“Going into the game, we were all very anxious due to the fact that the game had huge implications,” said Corey Levinson ‘19. “Since the district is so tight, beating Pflugerville would allow us to have the edge over them for when the true playoff race kicks in later.”

The Warriors momentum was still low going into the second quarter as they continued to fight against Pflugerville’s tough defense. As the quarter progressed, the Warriors began to play at the Panther’s level when Daniel Victor ‘18 began to make aggressive drives at the net. With this push and a three-point shot from Santi Campos ‘20, the Warriors began to close the score gap. Right at the buzzer, Patrick Sladek ‘19 shot a three-pointer to put the Warriors only down by one point (28-29).

During halftime, the Westwood breakdance club performed. With an exciting routine, the crowd was fired up as the team came back onto the court.

The Warriors reentered the game with the intention to score. With multiple shots by Latham Robinson ‘18, the Warriors were able to gain a lead two minutes into the quarter. Throughout the rest of the quarter the team fought to maintain their lead and ended the quarter ahead, 43-40.

“We just played our hearts out,” Flood said. “Coach Hastings said if we play like we can, we will win the game and that’s what we did.”

In the final quarter of the game, both teams pushed towards their basket for points, but the Warriors were able to maintain a slim lead for the entirety of the quarter. With a three point shot from Luke Durham ‘19 and accurate free throws from Robinson and Victor in the last seconds of the game, the Warriors won 64-61.

“For the future, we all need to continue trusting each other in big moments,” Levinson said.“The season is long so sticking together through the ups and downs is very important.”

The Warriors will take on Cedar Ridge in their next game on Friday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at Cedar Ridge High School. Go Wood.