Bench Sparks, Tempers Flare in Austin Spurs Win Over Laketown Squadron - The Daily Texan

Bench Sparks, Tempers Flare in Austin Spurs Win Over Laketown Squadron – The Daily Texan

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“Obviously, we’re continuing to build, only being two games in; but again, I keep going back to it because it’s true.”

That was Austin Spurs head coach Chris Kent describing his locker room after a physical 117-110 victory over the Laketown Squadron at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park on Sunday, Nov. 8, The Daily Texan reported. Midway through the second quarter, a scramble for the loose ball ignited pushes, shoves, and heated words between the two squads.

That fiery exchange set the tone for an afternoon where the teams traded baskets for four quarters before Austin finally created separation down the stretch. The win pushed the Spurs to a 2–0 start to their season, fueled by sharp perimeter shooting and a massive advantage on the glass.

Austin Spurs 117, Laketown Squadron 110

Both teams lived by the three-point shot on Sunday afternoon. Laketown launched 37 attempts from beyond the arc, while Austin countered with 48, with both rosters converting better than 40 percent of their long-range tries.

The game remained deadlocked for most of the afternoon because the two teams nearly mirrored each other across every major statistical category. The single glaring exception came on the offensive glass, where the Spurs outrebounded the Squadron 16-6 to manufacture crucial second-chance points.

Guard R.J. Davis provided the ultimate spark off the bench for Austin, pouring in 21 points while shooting 2-for-3 from deep.

“To me, it doesn’t matter — starting, coming off the bench, it’s about how you make impact,” Davis said, according to The Daily Texan. “That’s on the forefront of my mind, and it’s obviously winning. So, coming off the bench, it’s kind of just bringing the spark, running the second unit, picking up full courts, doing all the little things.”

Davis backed up a stellar starting rotation. Guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie paced the Spurs with 25 points, and forward Terry Taylor posted a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Late-Game Defensive Lapses

Despite the offensive firepower that has seen Austin crack the 110-point mark in both of its opening games, late-game execution remains a work in progress. Laketown mounted a furious fourth-quarter push that exposed defensive vulnerabilities similar to those seen in the season opener against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

On Friday night, the Spurs nearly squandered a 14-point lead before holding on. On Sunday, a comfortable cushion shrank quickly before the team steadied itself in the final minutes.

“We did well enough to win; so obviously, you want to get out and learn from a win rather than a loss, so I’m happy with that,” Kent said, as reported by The Daily Texan.

“But there’s still stuff you need to clean up, and it’s going to be the case every game. But again, the guys stuck together in the huddles. They’re saying the right things.”

The Spurs now enjoy a week off before returning to the floor next Sunday at 3 p.m. CT to host the Memphis Hustle. The matchup will coincide with Princess & Pop Night at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, prompting a playful pre-game query about head coach Chris Kent’s cinematic loyalties.

“I’m going Jasmine,” Kent said. “Because I really like Aladdin.”

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