By Michael Adams of the Lake Travis View
The Lake Travis girls basketball team (9-13, 3-6 District 14-6A) had three players score in double digits and led for 27 minutes, but couldn’t hold on as Hays (17-8, 7-2) picked up a 63-54 win over the Cavaliers Tuesday night in Lake Travis.
Hays sophomore Choon-Hee Chae scored a game-high 19 points, including a three-point field goal with 4:30 left in the game to give the Rebels their first lead of the game since leading 2-0 in the first minute. Lake Travis junior Mandy Karako led the Cavaliers with 18 points while sophomore Aspen Howie scored 14 and senior Bailey Bench added 10.
The Lady Rebels (17-8, 7-2) climb into a tie with Westlake for second place in 14-6A with six games remaining.
Karako got things started with a field goal to begin an 11-2 run that ended with her first of two three-pointers from well beyond the three-point arch.
Hays finally broke up the run with a three-pointer on the other end from Chae, one of two in the first quarter.
Lake Travis led 15-12 lead after one quarter and didn’t let up in the second. The Lady Cavaliers led by as many as seven points in the second quarter, but a 5-1 run late in the period tied the game at 22 at halftime.
The Cavaliers regained the lead quickly in the third quarter on Bench’s first points of the game. Hays got as close as one point, but Lake Travis continued to answer on the other end.
Howie found her rhythm and scored seven of her 14 points in the third quarter, including two three-point field goals.
But just as Lake Travis was answered, the Rebels responded back on the other end.
Chae’s field goal late put Hays within one point of tying the game heading into the final period.
Savannah Rains put Lake Travis up by five late in the third quarter, but the Rebels scored four straight to only trail by one heading into the fourth quarter.
The Cavaliers built a five point lead, but free throws continued to be the Achilles’ heel.
Karako missed a pair of free throws that would have put Lake Travis up by five, but Chae made two on the next Hays’ possession and then took the lead for good with a three-pointer.
