By C.R. BARNES
LOG Correspondent

Justin Flowers’ half-court pass to Jemarcus Johnson for an easy lay up with seven seconds left on the clock put the Lago Vista varsity basketball team sealed an upset of the Lexington Eagles, 61-59, at home Friday.
Lexington, coming in as the second-ranked team in District 25-2A, found itself in a contentious battle with a feisty Viking squad that was looking to end the season on a positive note.
The Eagles hit a three-point shot with 25 seconds remaining in the contest to tie the score at 59-59. Two missed free throws by the Eagles sealed their fate when Flowers soared for the rebound and found a wide open Johnson for the game-winning basket.
“This isn’t the way you draw the play up but Justin did a fantastic job finding JeMarcus streaking down the court,” said an exuberant coach Dan Boatright. “We finally defeated a team we shouldn’t have beaten. This was a great win for us.”
With a second-place finish in district on the line, Lexington wasted little time making its defense presence known as it shut down the Lago offense throughout the first quarter and limited the Viking shooters to 2 of 12 attempts and ended the quarter leading 14-4.
Lago regained its form while trading baskets back and forth with Lexington for the next eight minutes. Chipping away at the lead, the Vikings were able to dig out of the hole created in the first and enter the half down 30-25.
“I told the boys that they needed to work on effort and composure to beat this team,” Boatright said. “After trailing by 10 in the first and 12 in the second, we relied on self control and working hard to get back into this ballgame.”
Ryan Anderson’s clutch shooting in the third quarter helped Lago stay close to a Lexington squad looking to distance itself at every turn. Anderson knocked down nine of his team-leading 24 points in the frame and helped Lago narrow the deficit to 44-40 as the third quarter ended.
The Vikings took its first lead of the night deep into the fourth after a put-back rebound by C.J. Jacque. The teams traded baskets and free throws to keep the game tied until the remaining 25 seconds finally shut the door on a Lexington comeback.
Jacque, center and lone senior on the team, said going out with a quality win against a district powerhouse was a great way to end a productive and positive season.
“This win was great for our team, coaches and fans,” he said. “It means a lot to win at home in my last game. There is a lot of love on this team, and I can proudly say we played hard all year. I will miss my teammates and coach Boatright, but know they are in good shape for next year.”
With a previous loss to the Jarrell Cougars at home on Feb. 9, 72-50, the Vikings finished the 2009-10 season with a 16-12 overall record and 4-8 in district. Boatright said he knows the team will need to build upon this momentum for next season.
“Winning our last game is a great spring board. We are losing only one senior while returning the bulk of our starters,” he said. “Our work ethic and basketball fundamentals will remain the same as we look to ride that tidal wave to another great season.”