The Hutto Hippos varsity boys basketball team earned its first district win of the season with a 55-30 victory over the Manor Mustangs on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Senior guard Jacob Bell led the way with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
The game started slow, with Manor holding a 5-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Senior guard Cylin Tate sparked Hutto’s offense early in the second quarter, scoring four straight points to give the Hippos an 8-5 lead.
Hutto then extended its advantage with a 9-5 run, highlighted by several baskets from Bell. However, Manor responded with five unanswered points to cut the deficit to 16-14 at halftime.
The Mustangs tied the game 18-18 early in the third quarter, but Hutto’s offense came alive, fueling an 18-3 run to take a commanding 36-21 lead heading into the fourth. The Hippos maintained their momentum in the final period, adding 19 points to secure a dominant district win.
Tate and junior forward Ronald Willis also delivered strong performances. Willis scored 14 points, while Tate contributed 10.
Hutto shot an efficient 49% from the field and controlled the boards, finishing with 32 team rebounds. Willis, Tate and Bell combined for 25 of those rebounds.
With the victory, Hutto improved to 4-7 overall and 1-1 in district play, while Manor remained winless at 0-8 and 0-1 in district action. The Hippos will return to the court for the Weiss Tournament, scheduled for Dec. 5-7.
