With the Chap student section roaring, senior forward Jack Seiders spun in the post by a defender to get a finger-roll layup putting the Chaps on top late in the third quarter. Varsity boys basketball didn’t give up the lead again.

Westlake (21-6, 8-0 District 6A-26) defeated Bowie (16-14, 4-4 6A-26) in a tough nosed, low-scoring matchup, 43-38, Friday night at Al Bennett Court. The Chaps remain the only undefeated team in district play and are three games ahead of second-place Lake Travis. Senior guards Hunter Davis and Luke Butler combined for 25 of the Chaps points.

Just minutes into the game, Bowie took a 9-2 lead thanks to a string of Chap turnovers that prompted a timeout from varsity basketball head coach Robert Lucero.

“We just need to relax on offense,” Butler said of the start. “I feel like we’re trying to force stuff too much.”

After getting the turnover issues behind them, the Chaps went on an 16-7 run thanks to a barrage of threes from Davis, Seiders and sophomore guard Alex Allen. That run propelled the Chaps to within one point before halftime.

“They did a really good job of locking down after that start,” Lucero said. “It wasn’t necessarily offensively appealing, but defensively, they did a really good job.

To open the third quarter, Seiders got in the post three times where he then put the ball in the basket three times giving the Chaps the lead in the process. A technical foul on Bowie for too many men on the court gave Davis the chance to extend the lead, and he did by connecting on one of his two shots and making the lead four late in the game.

After getting the ball back, the Chaps missed shots on each of the next two possessions but Butler came to the rescue putting both missed shots back with two layups in the paint.

“Put in the work and just concentration, focusing on the shot,” Butler said. “Just make it.”

Bowie scored twice to move it to a two-point game. With a chance to take the lead, the Bulldogs missed a three-ball. From there, Westlake attempted to play keep-away, but the Bulldogs found a way to foul and sent Davis to the line again.

Davis made one of his two free throws and extended the lead to three with about 15 seconds left in the game. Bowie stormed back up the court and took a three that could’ve tied the game. The shot came from the corner and missed but a shooting foul sent Bulldog junior guard Derrick Osobase to the line to make it up.

The Chap student section got the arena booming. With all the pressure mounting, Osobase missed all three shots and gave the ball back to the Chaps.

“The fans are really great,” Butler said. “[They] really helps us play better.”

Two more Davis free throws secured the victory for the Chaps.

“When it comes to just fight, they work so hard everyday in practice,” Lucero said. “All 16 of them, that when the get into a game, they put so much into it that they’re not just going to let go of the rope because of a poor start.”

Westlake looks to remain undefeated at rival Lake Travis next Tuesday night at 7:30. The Cavaliers are coming off of a 43-38 win over Dripping Springs Friday night.