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The Bastrop Bears varsity boys basketball team defeated county rival Cedar Creek 57-53 through controlled play Friday, Jan. 23.
Sophomore Jamarion Aldridge-Hopes led the Bears with 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Bastrop shot 36% from the field, while Cedar Creek finished at 30%.
Bastrop jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, as two 3-pointers from Aldridge-Hopes and another from senior Preston Alexander helped the Bears take a 20-8 advantage at the end of the period.
Alexander finished second on the team in scoring with 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
Cedar Creek found momentum midway through the second quarter, going on an 11-6 run to cut the deficit to 26-19. However, a 3-pointer from Drake Hensley pushed Bastrop’s lead back to double digits.
Junior Jaxson Spotts helped the Bears maintain control heading into the fourth quarter, finishing with 11 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting performance.
The Eagles made a late push in the final minutes, but Bastrop sank key free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
With the win, the Bears improved to 13-15 overall and 4-2 in district play. Cedar Creek fell to 3-18 overall and 2-4 in district.
Bastrop played Navarro after press time Tuesday and will return to action at home against Liberal Arts & Science Academy on Friday, Jan. 30, at 8 p.m. Cedar Creek faced Anderson on Tuesday and will travel to Navarro later this week.
