Sachse senior Teagan Duffie (0) made several key defensive plays in a 55-45 home win over Wylie last Friday. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Sachse head boys basketball coach Micah Moore said his team has become seasoned veterans when it comes to playing in close games.
Chalk up another tight win for the Mustangs.
For the 12th time in its last 13 games, Sachse played in a contest decided by 10 points or fewer. And while the Mustangs hoped to put Wylie away earlier, Sachse made the necessary plays when it mattered most, including two free throws by senior Matthew Hudgins with 4.9 seconds left to punctuate a 55-45 home win last Friday.
“We’ve been in every single game, and they all seem to end up like that, regardless of who the opponent is,” Moore said. “We’re definitely seasoned vets when it comes to winning close ones.”
For much of the night, it appeared Sachse (13-11 overall, 6-2 District 9-6A) was in control.
Wylie (15-10, 6-2) weathered an early Sachse run, rallying from a 4-2 deficit to take a 6-4 lead after senior Camden Love knocked down two free throws.
Sachse answered with a 9-0 run to seize a 13-6 advantage after senior forward Teagan Duffie converted a layup.
Wylie continued to battle, but Hudgins provided a major spark for Sachse heading into halftime. With time winding down in the first half, Hudgins pulled up from about five feet beyond the 3-point line and buried a buzzer-beating 3 to give the Mustangs a 25-16 lead.
It was one of several clutch baskets for Hudgins, who led all scorers with 18 points. Sophomore Caleb Lindsey added 10 points in the win, followed by nine from senior Jordan Anderson-Urune.
“Matt’s a great kid, a program leader,” Moore said. “To see him have some success after not having shots go in is huge for us. He’s without a doubt the quiet leader of our program.”
Sachse appeared to take a stranglehold on the game in the third quarter, building its largest lead of the night at 37-21 following a Hudgins jumper with 3:37 remaining.
However, the Pirates refused to go away.
Sophomore Tre Pierce gave Wylie momentum heading into the fourth quarter by draining a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the third.
Behind nine missed free throws and several missed perimeter shots by the Mustangs, Wylie continued to chip away at the deficit. The Pirates pulled within 50-45 after Love converted a driving layup with 46 seconds remaining.
Love led Wylie with 12 points, followed by 11 from senior Theo Allen and nine from senior Darian Romano.
Moments later, Wylie had a chance to make it a one-possession game, but a 3-pointer rattled out. After senior John Dupont knocked down two free throws to restore a two-possession cushion for Sachse, Wylie again had an opportunity to close the gap. The Pirates drove for a layup, but Duffie rose up and swatted the attempt away — one of several emphatic blocks he recorded on the night.
“Before the season, I told Teagan that he has the chance to be the Defensive Player of the Year in our district,” Moore said. “He’s a really good offensive player, but his gift is on the defensive end.”
Sachse and Wylie entered the week tied with Rowlett for first place in District 9-6A, with all three teams owning identical 6-2 district records.
“This district is crazy,” Moore said. “I was talking to coach (Stephen) Pearce before the game that anybody has a chance to win on any given night. If you’re not playing well, you’re going to get beat. The second half is going to be wild.”
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