Marble Falls boys basketball beats Georgetown Gateway, sets up battle for No. 1 against Burnet
CAPTION: Marble Falls junior point Davis Dreisbach and the Mustangs are tied with Burnet for first place in District 24-4A. The two meet Friday in Max Copeland Gym. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Marble Falls High School boys basketball team defeated Georgetown Gateway 78-66 Feb. 7 to split the two-game series with the Gators.
The win moves the Mustangs to a tie with Burnet at 5-3 for first place in the District 24-4A standings after the Bulldogs crushed Lago Vista 72-48 on the same night.
Both teams will meet at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at Max Copeland Gym on the Marble Falls High School campus. The Mustangs won the first game 49-48 Jan. 27 in The Doghouse.
Mustangs head coach Travis Crain said the Mustangs are preparing for the Bulldogs’ best, especially since Burnet opened the game in late January on a 17-0 run.
“We had to find heart and determination that allowed us to escape with a win,” he said. “We have to start better. Credit to (Burnet head coach Roy) Kiser and those kids. They were fired up and ready to play us. Burnet is playing great basketball. I think we’re playing solid. It should be a (great) game.”
He added that while the contest against is important, it’s not the only regular season game left, noting the parity in the district.
Gateway, Lampasas and Jarrell are all 4-4 and the Mustangs will travel to Jarrell Tuesday, Feb. 14, in a rematch of a 52-49 contest they won thanks to a half-court shot by sophomore Garen Jones.
“We have two games left, and they both matter,” Crain said. “As tight as this district is, the next objective is that we have an important game Friday against a team we’re tied with. And they played us really well at their place.”
Against the Gators, the Mustangs created a game plan to offset Gateway’s height and long arms.
“We felt if we did some things early, it could set up for later,” Crain said. “That’s how it played out. They have bigger guys, and they like to play zone. We increased the tempo.”
Both teams answered each other’s buckets with baskets of their own that led to a 15-12 Gateway advantage after the first quarter.
The Mustangs outscored the Gators 25-18 for a 37-33 lead at the intermission.
The Marble Falls blew the game open in the second half, outscoring Gateway 22-14 for a 59-47 lead after three quarters.
“We just kept them in front of us,” Crain said. “We didn’t allow any transition baskets and made passing difficult.”
Watch videos on Highland Lakes sports by going to Fierro’s YouTube channel and searching for The Broad Podcaster. Please like, subscribe and share.
