Late in the fourth quarter with the Chaps facing an insurmountable deficit, sophomore forward Wynn Thorne lined up and knocked down a three, bringing Westlake back within 10 points.

It would end up being the last points of the season for the Chaps. Westlake (27-8) fell to Vandegrift (28-8), 46-56, in the Bi-District round of the 6A-DII playoffs. The Vipers used a 29-point outburst from sophomore guard Maddie Broxterman to survive and advance. Junior forward Tamia King led the way for the Chaps, finishing with 16 points.

Westlake ran their entire offense through King in the first frame, as she had 13 of their 16 points. The Chaps entered the second quarter with a 16-12 lead over Vandy, and were able to maintain that lead throughout the half, trading buckets with the Vipers and heading into the break with a 27-23 lead.

“Tamia King is a dream to coach,” head coach Vickie Benson said. “She works hard, cares about developing as a leader and player, and loves the game. When players lead the way Tamia does, everyone benefits from it. She is selfless, competes and wants success for everyone.”

The second half is where the Vandegrift offense came alive, scoring a quick four points to even the game back up. Thorne then scored five straight for the Chaps, trading buckets with the Vipers for a few minutes. A Broxterman and-one gave her 25 for the game and pushed the Vandegrift lead to five at 38-33, and then a three gave them a commanding 44-35 lead going into the fourth.

“We knew they had potential to do that,” Benson said. “I thought we managed it well in the first half, but did not capitalize enough in our transition game or in the paint. Even though we had the lead, we did not come out to start the third with the confidence and fire we normally do. We haven’t been in that situation all year, being down nine going into the fourth. It really wasn’t an impossible task, and we made it more difficult on ourselves than we needed to. We struggled at that point to stick to the game plan.”

The fourth quarter didn’t bring much difference for the Chaps. They couldn’t get enough stops down the stretch, and the Vipers hit some crucial free throws down the stretch to ice the game away.

The Chaps return four starters, and head into the 2025 season as one of the most experienced teams in the state. Despite the disappointment this year, Westlake looks to contend for a state championship.

“Our program will continue to grow and develop,” Benson said. “We have some difficult spots to replace from our graduates, but the returners will be motivated and more experienced. They will lead well.”

The Chaparral offense will be a strong suit next year, with sophomore guard Molly  Frazer anchoring the starting lineup along with King. Their season this year concludes with a perfect 12-0 record in district play and a 28-8 record overall.

“I am very proud of this team,” Benson said. “They have grown so much since the end of last season. They bought into the program and into each other. This is the most efficient team I have had the privilege of coaching.  They really desired to get better every day.  I told them all season that we either win or we learn.”