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Leps Win District Opener Over Giddings
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La Grange’s Cordale Knapik drives to the basket for two points Friday. He scored 10. Photos by Jeff Wick -
La Grange’s Devonte McKenzie plays some tough defense against this Giddings ballhandler. McKenzie scored eight.
Last year Brandon Mathis played basketball for Giddings.
This year the 6-foot-5 sophomore star, who is averaging 10 rebounds, two blocked shots and 11 points per game, is playing for La Grange.
That made for an interesting storyline when the Buffaloes visited La Grange for the district opener Friday.
It got even more interesting when Mathis started the game with a pair of highlight reel dunks for the Leps’ first four points.
Giddings hung around all night, but eventually the Leps held on for a 50-42 victory.
“This was very personal for me,” Mathis said after the game. “I love it here.”
“I know Brandon wanted to beat Giddings really bad,” said La Grange head coach Trent Collier. “He’s an awesome kid. Every coach in Texas would want to have Brandon Mathis the basketball player, but I’m excited to get to know Brandon Mathis the young man. He expects perfection and he expects perfection from his teammates. It’s a learning process for him, but he does some amazing things on the court.”
Despite those early statement- making dunks by Mathis, the Buffaloes actually led 21-18 going into halftime.
The Leps came out of halftime on fire and scored 11 unanswered in the first 90 seconds of the second half and never looked back.
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