Leps Fall to First Place LBJ

For a while Tuesday the La Grange boys basketball team was dominating district-leading Austin LBJ.

But nobody can do that to the Jaguars for long.

In what felt like the blink of an eye, but was actually the final three minutes of the first half, LBJ erased a 24-12 Leps lead and turned it into 25-24 Jaguars advantage at the break.

Then LBJ continued the dominance in the second half, outscoring the Leps 20-3 to begin the third quarter, and the outcome never felt in doubt after that.

“They weren’t putting much defensive pressure on us, and then suddenly they were,” La Grange head coach David Cooper said. “We knew it was coming. When they want to get going, that’s what they do. We worked on it in practice but you can’t simulate it.”

The Leps started the game executing their half-court offensive very well, and Jaxon Cooper, on his way to a team-high 24 points, was making shots from all over the court.

But when LBJ switched to a full-court pressure defense, even getting the ball in a position to get off a shot became difficult.

“We tried to play the Navasotas and the La Marques this season, teams they really pressure you,” David Cooper said. “It just didn’t translate over.”

No other Lep had more than six points.

La Grange’s scheduled opponent Friday, Austin Eastside, forfeited, meaning the Leps have just one more game in the regular season, Tuesday at Giddings that will likely decide playoff seeding.

The Leps, who have already clinched a playoff berth, have a 14-14 overall record and a 7-4 mark in district.

2/8/22

La Grange boys 45, Austin LBJ 59

La Grange 13 11 8 13 – 45

Austin LBJ 7 18 25 9 – 59

La Grange scoring: Chovanetz 3, Roberts 2, Baker 2, Knapik 3, Scott 6, Cooper 24, Woods 5.

JV: LBJ 33, La Grange 45

Leading scorer: Nygren 18

Freshmen: LBJ 44, La Grange 36

Leading scorer: Knapik 9