During its worst offensive performance of the season, Cesar Chavez relied on its defense to get the win against Basha.

“It's a relief to get the win because the game was played at their pace and under control with what they wanted,” Cesar Chavez head coach Gary Lee said following the 47-45 victory.

The Champions were down 38-33 early in the fourth quarter and needed a shift in momentum to get back in the game. They got it when senior power forward Lavangelist Hardeman ferociously blocked a Basha shot attempt that led to a basket in transition. This jumpstarted an 8-0 run that pushed the Champions ahead 41-38 with about 4 minutes remaining in the game.

They held onto the lead until the 2:35 mark when Basha scored to make it 43-43. The draw did not last long. Almost immediately, guard Ricardo Sarmiento stole the ball and drove to the basket to all but seal the win for Chavez. The Champions held onto to the lead for the rest of the game despite a last-second shot attempt by Basha.

The pro-Chavez crowd roared as Basha missed the final shot, helping Chavez advance to the second round of the state tournament and extend its win streak to 12 games.

This was by far their toughest win yet as Basha did everything it could to make it a rough night. Basha’s scrappy approach combined with the fact that Chavez hadn’t played a game since Feb. 5 made it difficult for the Champions to get into a groove early.

“Coach Lee told us to just keep fighting and we just believed in him and believed in ourselves and came back and pulled out with the win,” sophomore point guard TyTy Washington said.

Washington, like most of the Chavez team, didn’t have his best game but still managed to put up a team-leading18 points. He also praised Sarmiento for his steal.

“He’s always had defense. His defense is always on point,” Washington said.

Next up for Chavez is a date with Chaparral, who is ranked No. 2 in the 6A conference. A win against Chaparral would give Chavez its first Final Four appearance since the 2016-17 season.

Senior point guard Abdi Odowaay feels confident going into the match.

“They like to run as well but we feel like we can run more than them,” Odowaay said.

The Champions have plenty of time to prepare for that game,as it will take place Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.