As the playoffs are nearing, the teams in the hunt for a spot are playing tight games with exciting finishes. 

Friday night’s District 17-5A game between host Cypress Woods (6-8) and Cypress Falls (6-8) was no exception.

The game came down to the final eight minutes as both teams were looking to make that fourth playoff spot, and Cy Woods held off a late Falls rally to win 58-50.

“When we started tonight we were tied for fifth place and there are four teams tied for fourth,” Woods coach Chris Draudt said. “We are still in the hunt for a playoff spot so it was very important for us to win tonight.”

Both teams were aggressive at the onset.

Tied at 11 with less than one minute left in the first, Cy Falls had possession. The Eagles passed the ball for 40 seconds to get one shot and hopefully take the lead. Steve Agwn hit a basket late but Cy Woods’ Carter Nash ran up court and sank one at the buzzer to keep the score tied at 13.

It was the same story in the second. Cy Falls’ Chris Dao hit a three to start the quarter. Cy Woods’ Andre Adams later hit a three to take the lead at 2:15. Josh Struble tied the Wildcats after getting a rebound and sinking it. And with 25 seconds left and tied at 25, the Wildcats held the ball to get their one shot to take the lead, but missed it and remain tied.

“We told the kids at halftime it was going to come down to who made more plays and who made fewer mistakes,” Draudt said. “In that kind of game, one mistake can cost you, and I felt we were on the positive side of that.”

The Wildcats had a 35-29 lead in the third. Cy Falls had four free throw opportunities but came away with only one-point from Grant Ross. Cy Woods’ Dee Marco Richardson scored five more for the Wildcats and Agwn and Dao scored four for the Eagles, but Woods still led 40-34.

The final quarter was best broken down into two-minute increments.

In the first two minutes, Cy Falls scored six points to tie the game at 40.

The next two minutes saw three baskets; Richardson and Adams for Cy Woods and Dao for the Eagles. In minutes four through two, the Wildcats hit five free throws, four from Richardson. Dao was the only one to score again for the Eagles with a basket and a free throw.

Cy Woods now led 49-45.

The final two minutes were critical for both teams to make shots and not foul.

Cy Woods did just that, scored nine and held Cy Falls to five.

“I thought we played really well tonight,” Draudt said. “We got up at the end and it put some pressure on them and we were able to finish and make some free throws.

“We try to tell these kids every game is important because we are building toward the future and we’ve done a pretty good job. We feel like we’ve given ourselves a chance to get into the playoffs.”

The Wildcats face Cypress Creek next Tuesday and Jersey Village next Friday.

“Unfortunately for them (Cy Creek), they graduated a lot of kids last year and they are struggling a little bit,” Draudt said. “We’ve played them twice and beat them twice but it is always hard to play someone three times so we’ll have to play to beat them.”

Coach Draudt’s opponent was his father, Jim Draudt.

The younger Draudt said, “He got me the first time so I owed him one and I got it.”

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