By Michael Adams
madams@onthesidelinessports.com

Bowie put up a dog fight, but a pair of big runs – including a 12-1 one to open the fourth quarter – allowed Buda Johnson to escape Bulldog Gymnasium with just a scratch.

With five players scoring in double digits, the Jaguars held off a persistent Bowie team to remain undefeated in District 26-6A with a 75-68 win over the Bulldogs in the Austin Metro Boys Basketball Game of the Week.

Senior guard Jaxson Vandegarde led Buda Johnson with 22 points, while senior guard Jack Untermeyer added 17, senior forward Sam McKinney put in 12, and Zeriah Kincaid and Reese Martin added 11 points each.

“We were really resilient tonight,” said Buda Johnson head coach Ben Kinnison. “We did a few things uncharacteristic tonight, but Bowie is a good team and made us earn it. I was proud of our fight.”

• Photos: See more photos from Friday’s game

The Jaguars (14-2, 4-0) sprinted to an early lead behind McKinney, a St. Edwards-commit, who scored eight of his 12 points in the first quarter.

However, Bowie (10-5, 1-2) kept up with Buda Johnson’s fast pace and got hot from behind the three-point line. Senior guard Mason Wasserburger nailed four threes, scoring 12 of his 20 points in the first quarter. Wasserburger made five three-point field goals on the night.

Buda Johnson cooled off Wasserburger and the Bulldogs in the second frame. The Jaguars held Bowie scoreless through the first four minutes of the second quarter and extended their lead to nine points at halftime.

The Bulldogs still had some fight left and got hot from behind the three-point line again to open the second half.

Junior guard Max Filderman and senior guard Braeden Spinden led Bowie’s charge to open the second half.

Filderman sank a trio of three-pointers in the third quarter, scoring nine of his 13 points in the frame. Spinden added seven of his team-high 22 points as the Bulldogs tied the game at 51-51 by the end of the quarter.

Spinden opened the fourth quarter with a field goal to give Bowie its first lead of the game within the first 30 seconds of the frame.

Untermeyer and the Jaguars, however, ensured the Bulldogs’ lead was short lived. Untermeyer scored 7 of his 9 fourth quarter points as part of a 12-1 run over the next three minutes as Buda Johnson pulled away.

“A lot of credit to Johnson, that’s one helluva team,” said Bowie coach Trey Lindsey. “ I’m really proud of our guys, there were a couple of times there I though we could’ve given up… we were able to tie it up, but down the stretch, they made a few more plays than we did.”

Up next

Bowie at Akins, 8 p.m., Wednesday

Johnson vs. Akins, 7 p.m., Jan. 2

Box score

Johnson 75, Bowie 68	1	2	3	4
Buda Johnson	29	11	11	24
Bowie	23	8	20	17