Byron Nelson boys grab district lead, end 1st half of district with big win over Eaton
The gym at Byron Nelson High School was rocking Tuesday night as the Bobcats hosted Eaton in a District 4-6A boys basketball showdown between two 5-0 district teams.
Byron picked up the pace after a slow start to win, 73-58, behind 29 points from sophomore guard Finley Bizjack.
“This gives us a lot of confidence, being the No. 1 team in our district now at 6-0, but it means every team is coming for us. We’ll be ready,” said Bizjack, who scored 16 points in the first half.
The Bobcats improved to 6-0 in district and 13-2 overall.
The Eagles dropped to 5-1 and 11-7.
Jeremiah Hoit knocked down a 3-pointer as Eaton went on a 9-0 run and had its largest lead at 13-5 in the first quarter. But Byron stormed back with a Bizjack 3-point play and the Bobcats led 16-15 heading into the second.
Jesse Iweze, who added 18 for Byron, scored on the first basket in the second to extend the Bobcat run to 13-2. Charles Whitebear would give Eaton a 22-20 edge, but Kaden Morgan drained a 3-pointer and Byron never trailed again.
“I thought once we settled in, we were okay. We made some adjustments and the kids stepped up,” Byron coach Scott Curran said. “We’ve been down before so we’re going to keep battling.”
Bizjack got another 3-point play and Iweze got a dunk just before the half as the Bobcats led 35-24 at intermission. Iweze hit Conner Lindsey for a basket as Byron’s lead grew to 49-32 in the third quarter.
However, Eaton didn’t shy away as Andrew Parker’s three pulled the Eagles within 60-50 and the Eagles got as close as eight before the Bobcats pulled away in the fourth on a Iweze steal and dunk.
“Playing our rivals really boosted our confidence,” Bizjack said. “Whenever we’re clicking, it’s hard for any team to play with us because we’re all so close.”
Lindsey and Morgan scored 12 points apiece for Byron.
Curran said that Lindsey impressed him.
“He’s a sophomore also and a really nice player of us,” Curran said. “He really can shoot the ball and has been real consistent throughout the season. He’s only going to keep getting better.”
Parker led the Eagles with 14 points.
This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 3:07 AM.
