Lake Travis outlasts San Antonio East Central to qualify for regionals in UIL playoffs

DRIPPING SPRINGS — Lake Travis handled the pressure. Both literally and figuratively.

Facing a San Antonio East Central team that plays at a breakneck pace, presses as much as possible and would make the Oklahoma teams of the Billy Tubbs era proud, the Cavs were composed enough to come away with a 56-46 win Tuesday night in a Class 6A regional quarterfinal game at Dripping Springs High School.

Oh, Lake Travis had its moments with turnovers and poor shot selection, but it made the plays it needed to when it mattered most.

Here are some thoughts from the game as the Cavs (32-5) advance to their first regional tournament since 2018:

Cavaliers looked to be in great shape

Lake Travis is in good physical condition.

And while East Central is arguably the best-conditioned team in the state with a playing rotation of seven guys who never seem to run out of energy, the Cavs nearly matched them. Though Lake Travis had a bit of a rough third quarter, its six-man playing rotation never wilted under the Hornets’ frenetic style.

“I think that says something about how we practice and how hard we practice,” said Lake Travis coach Brandon Shaver, who is in his first year leading the program. “We don’t just get on the baseline and run. … And this time of year, we’re not going longer than an hour, but it’s an intense hour. And games are roughly more than an hour, so we’re ready to go. We didn’t have guys with hands on their knees. It’s just a testament to the work they’ve put in.”

Lake Travis was ready for the press

The Cavs put on a master class of how to handle full-court presses and half-court traps in the first two quarters, which was a big reason they built a double-digit lead. Lake Travis had constant movement off the ball with players cutting through the paint to find easy baskets inside.

“It actually starts on defense,” senior guard Hunter Duran said. “You’ve got to get rebounds and get down the court. And thanks to (Cavs junior Adrian Mathis), who I think is one of the best point guards in the state. It was all about throwing good passes and staying locked in.”

Chas Biegel, another senior guard, said though it’s tough to duplicate what East Central presents athletically in practice, the Cavs felt prepared coming in.

“We stayed composed well,” Biegel said. “We worked on what we thought we were going to see, and we have a scout team that helps us prepare for when and where it will come. It helps knowing that we have ball-handlers, people that can make plays and that we play as a team.”

Cavs prevailed thanks to clutch 3-pointers

The three biggest shots of the game for the Cavs came from behind the arc.

After leading by 14 early in the third quarter, their lead was whittled to one following a 19-6 Hornets run. But Mathis swished a 60-foot shot at the third-quarter buzzer that put them up by seven and switched the momentum back to Lake Travis entering the fourth quarter.

Then in the last four minutes, Hudson Greer and Mathis both sank 3-pointers when East Central got within two.

“It was huge to help close out the game,” Biegel said. “They’re star players, and that’s what they do.”

More: Stony Point, Lake Travis take dominating wins to roll into Class 6A regional quarterfinals

Lake Travis sports a talented roster

Greer, who finished with 20 points, is a future Division I player at a Power Five school, but the rest of the Cavs’ roster is also impressive.

When Greer went down with an injury this season, they went 7-2 to finish out District 26-6A play and claim a district title. And while Greer returned for the playoffs, he’s probably still working his way back to 100% after missing six weeks and playing for the first time a week ago in the bi-district round against Round Rock.

Jayden Thomas might be the most underrated player in the state, Mathis will play college ball somewhere in two years and Chas Biegel, Duran and Ethan Birchall would start for almost every other team in the Austin area.

“It’s huge to be going to the regional tournament,” Biegel said. “We have the opportunity to play another day. We’ll have practice tomorrow, and it’s just amazing.”

Mathis had 19 points and Thomas finished with 12 points to put three Lake Travis players in double figures.

More: Lake Travis, Cedar Creek, Connally and Hendrickson win first-round playoff games

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Lake Travis outlasts San Antonio East Central to qualify for regionals in UIL playoffs