A trio of players in double figures carried the Hays Rebels boys basketball team to a 54-36 Dec. 31 win over the rival Lehman Lobos in the final Hays CISD varsity athletic contest of the decade.

Spurring Hays’ win was an offense that outscored Lehman 44-24 over the final 18-plus minutes of the contest. Success in the paint predicated on using a taller lineup paid dividends for the Rebels who remain in the thick of the 25-6A playoff chase.

“We were the bigger team, guards and bigs. It...