Junior Goodlet comes to the rescue as Stony Point stays alive in boys basketball playoffs
With the season on the line, Stony Point guard Junior Goodlet made sure the Tigers didn't make an unexpected exit in the UIL state basketball playoffs Tuesday night.
Goodlet scored 12 of his 16 points in the pivotal second half to help Stony Point (35-1) rally for a 49-35 victory over Westlake (28-8) in a Class 6A Region IV quarterfinal game at Burger Center. He scored six straight points early in the fourth quarter to help break open a tight game.
This is familiar territory for Stony Point. The Tigers advanced to the Region IV semifinals and will face San Antonio Brennan on Friday night at Northside Gym. The same teams met in the semifinals last year with Brennan earning a 57-43 victory on its way to the state tournament.
Josiah Moseley, Stony Point's Villanova-bound senior forward, also scored 16 points, 10 in the first half, and added five blocked shots. Stony Point has won 15 straight games since losing to Plano East 55-50 on Dec. 30, its lone setback of the season.
Stony Point coach issues a challenge
Before Tuesday's game, Tigers coach Antoine Thompson spoke to Goodlet about the importance of being a leader against the Chaparrals. Thompson, whose two-year record at Stony Point is 67-3, already knew that Moseley would have his usual stellar performance, but he figured the Tigers needed another player to step up.
Westlake, which proved to be a worthy opponent, led 21-18 at halftime. That's when Goodlet took matters into his own hands.
"Oh my gosh," Thompson said in a quiet locker room about 30 minutes after the game. "Right before we went to the court before the game, I asked Junior to be the guy that I know he's capable of being. For him to take the initiative, put the team on his back in the second half, what a phenomenal job by Junior Goodlet."
Thompson said the Tigers picked up the pace after a lackluster performance and shut the Chaparrals down with defense. Westlake scored only four points in the third quarter and 10 in the fourth quarter. Defense has been a hallmark of Tiger basketball the past two years under Thompson.
"I know the work ethic that our guys, 1 through 15, give on a day-to-day basis," Thompson said. "We've been in this situation before. Josiah's not our only player.
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Westlake dictated the pace early, frustrating the Tigers
Coach Robert Lucero's Chaparrals led for almost the entire first half. The most impressive player wearing red and blue was senior guard Max Purushothaman, who scored all nine of his points in the first half. And when Andrew Cannatti drilled a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left in the half, the Chaps had momentum and a 21-18 lead at the break.
Westlake post Wonder Kahozi, who will play at St. Edward's, had some spectacular dunks and played solid defense in the paint. Westlake, though, did not have any players finish in double figures.
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This was Junior Goodlet's night to shine
Goodlet was the recipient of handshakes, high-fives and pats on the back when he joined Stony Point fans after the game. The smile on his face indicated he was proud to help the Tigers win such an important game. He then spoke about his coach's pregame challenge.
What did Goodlet tell his coach?
"Coach, I'm ready, I've got you."
The Tigers proved they are not a one-man team that relies solely on Moseley. On the contrary, this is a deep squad with reliable players such as guards Uzziah Buntyn and Alan Guyton Jr. and 6-foot-8 center Davaughn Hueitt, whose wingspan made it hard for Westlake to get easy baskets inside.
"Josiah, he's an amazing player, but sometimes teams will key on him," he said. "That opens it up for other people. If he's not open, someone else is going to be open. We've got a whole team, not a one-man show."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Stony Point boys basketball beats Westlake to advance to regionals
