This week Anderson goes into their most brutal stretch of the regular season. It will include games against two of the top ten 6A teams in the state in Westlake and Lake Travis. Anderson will play number 7 in the state Westlake away on Tuesday the 24th with a 7:30 P.M. tip and number 10 Lake Travis at home on Friday the 27th, starting at 8:00 P.M. Both of these games will be tough matchups for the Trojans but could be a turning point in the season if they could come away with a win or two.
Westlake comes into the matchup versus Anderson with a 24-2 overall record and an 8-2 district record, putting them at 3rd in the district. This is due to the talent they have all over the floor, with every player being able to contribute to scoring, assisting, and rebounding the basketball. The Chaparrals also play stifling defense, allowing just 45.6 points per game. This consistent defense enables them to shut down teams and consistently win games regardless of how well they play on the offensive end. This is exactly what happened in their first matchup against Anderson. Even though they only put up 51 points which is a bit under their average of about 55 points per game, it did not matter because they held the Trojans to only 38 points. They can do this to teams due to their length and physicality. Their starting lineup’s average height is over 6’3, which continues into their bench, allowing them to contest shots and lock down the paint. They also use this height to rebound, averaging almost 35 rebounds per game. A key to this game will be boxing out and being physical by initiating contact in the paint to try and offset Westlake’s height advantage. The last time they played, Anderson was able to limit Westlake’s leading scorers in Blake Miri and Gavin Paull and will need to do so again, this time with some more offensive output, to have a shot at winning this game.
The Trojans will be facing a hot Lake Travis team on Friday, which is on an eight-game winning streak. They just beat Westlake, coming back from a double-digit deficit in a 43-42 thriller to put them at a 21-5 record and an 8-1 district record, which is good enough for a second-place spot in the district. The Cavaliers are led by sophomore Hudson Greer, who averages around 20 points per game and can go off for much more. He is a four-star ranked as the number 56 recruit in the nation for the class of 2025 and has offers from Texas, UCLA, Texas Tech, Mississippi State, Kansas State, SMU, and Saint Louis. Shutting him down will be a must for the Trojans. Greer scored 21 points in his last outing against the Trojans, leading Lake Travis to a 49-38 win. Like the Chaparrals, the Cavaliers posses tremendous length, with their starting lineup averaging a height of just under 6’5. They have three players at 6’5 or taller, including Greer, who is listed at 6’6, which helps them only give up around 46 points per game. Anderson will need to be physical the whole game and ensure they are the aggressors. In their last game against Lake Travis, Anderson’s Campbell Duncan sat on top of the Trojan’s scoring column with 18 points, but more people will need to contribute to scoring for Anderson to have a chance in this game. The Trojans have proven that they can play good enough defense to beat Westlake or Lake Travis, but they will have to find a way to score the basketball more effectively to come away with wins in these games. Both these games will be massive for Anderson, so make sure to come out and support them, especially in their home game against Lake Travis this Friday at 8:00 P.M.
