The third time didn’t prove to be the charm for the Buda Johnson boys basketball team.
The Jaguars were playing Champion for the third time this year and had lost both district contests entering Tuesday’s contest at Littleton Gym.
Champion made it three in a row over the Jaguars after they were solid down the stretch with its foul shooting and scored its last 10 points at the free-throw line to win, 61-56.
The Chargers (31-6) advance to the regional tournament back at Littleton. They play Friday vs. McAllen (32-8) 5:30 p.m. and the winner faces the winner of the Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial vs. San Antonio Veterans Memorial contest Saturday, 2 p.m.
In Tuesday’s game, the Chargers jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and went up 19-8 by the time it went to the second period.
Johnson won the second, 12-10, and the Chargers took a 29-20 lead into the break. In the third, the Jags heated up from the outside and made some 3s and outscored Champion in the period, 19-14, and the lead was down to four at 43-39 as the game went to the fourth.
Champion had a hard time shaking the Jags in the final stanza. They were up 55-50 but Johnson completed a 3-point play with a basket and a free throw and it was a two-point game at 55-53 with 40 seconds left.
Braden Baum was fouled and hit both free throws to make it 57-53. After a miss by the Jags, Charlie Georgelos was fouled with 20 seconds remaining and made both of his free throws for the 59-53 advantage but Johnson hit a 3 and it was down to a threepoint lead at 59-56.
Johnson had to foul and they sent Braxton Burdick to the line and he also made both to push it back to five points at 61-56 with 11.75 seconds.
The Jags brought the ball up the court and had one more look at a 3 but this one didn’t fall and the Chargers controlled the rebound to end the game.
Champion scored its last 10 points at the free-throw line on 10 for 10 shooting as all five starters went 2 for 2 at the line during that stretch.
Champion finished the game 14 for 14 at the line, but Johnson shot it well too and went 9 for 9 so neither team missed a free throw all game.
Braden Baum led the Chargers with 27 points and was 4 for 4 at the line, Owen Tate and Jesse Peart both finished with 10 points and both were 2 for 2 at the line, Braxton Burdick scored 6 and made all 4 of his free throws, Charlie Georgelos added 5 points and was 2 for 2 at the stripe and Hunter Lampkin nailed a 3 to end the first quarter for 3 points.
Burdick had 7 boards, Georgelos recorded 5 assists and Peart came up with 4 steals.
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