No. 1 Westlake executed its defensive game plan to perfection on Tuesday, going on the road to beat No. 2 Collins Hills 59-34 in the Class AAAAAAA quarterfinals on Tuesday.
The Lions (28-1) used their quickness and jumping ability – along with their brains – to move one step closer to their first state championship.
“Our main objective was to make sure we held them defensively,” coach Hilda Hankerson said. “Our goal was to play with our hands up and not with our hands on people’s bodies. And they did it. It was their greatest defensive stand the entire season.”
Westlake jumped out to a 12-2 lead, but Collins Hill stormed back to take a 17-14 lead, as the Lions went more than five minutes without a point. The Lions didn’t get rattled and ripped off 11 unanswered point and never allowed Collins Hills to get any closer than five points.
“We’ve played some very good teams, so were used to those runs,” said Hankerson, referring to the national tournaments in which the team competed this season. “That kind of prepared us for something like this. It doesn’t rattle us because we know what type of offense we have.”
Collins Hill decided to try to close the gap by fouling and hoping Westlake would miss its free throws. That strategy didn’t work, particularly when the Eagles kept fouling guard Anastasia Warren. The senior guard made 14 of 16 at the line and scored a game-high 23 points. She’s the team’s best free throw shooter, making 80-plus percent.
“Our goal was to make sure we were not behind in the fourth quarter,” Hankerson said.
Westlake also got 11 points from Raven Johnson and nine points each from Taylor Hosendove and Simone Lett.
Collins Hill (25-3) was led in scoring by Jaron Stallworth with 11 and Javyn Nicholson with nine.
Winning on the road was important, but it wasn’t unexpected. The Lions began the season 12-1 and had played only one home game.
“It’s a great, great victory to do something like this,” Hankerson said. “We had to make the kids believe that any gym was home.”
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