Marble Falls boys basketball loses to Leander
The Marble Falls High School boys basketball team lost to Leander 48-34 Nov. 17 in the Mustangs’ third game, all on the road, this season.
“We competed,” head coach Travis Crain said. “I’m really proud of our guys, I’m really proud of our effort. We gave them everything we had.”
Leander led 9-8 in the first period, 18-13 with under 3 minutes left in the second quarter, 22-15 early in the third stanza, and 35-21 with under a minute remaining in the third period.
The Lions featured two posts who stood 6 feet and 3 inches and 6-4. Crain said the duo posted up and moved without the ball, which made defending them difficult.
“Their bigs had a presence and finished around the rim,” he said. “(Leander Junior Ephrance Steele) is a great player. Great players have the ability to take over games. He said, ‘OK, I got it.’ He made a six-point run on his own. There was nothing we could have done. We moved him to spots, and he hit two shots with us right on him. When it was time to pull away (Steele) said, ‘I got it.'”
Leander had 21 rebounds, 8 assists and 9 steals. Marble Falls had 26 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks.
“They’re big,” Crain said of the Lions. “They ran their stuff well. We took our time running our stuff. Our offensive execution is what allowed us to stay in the game.”
Marble Falls junior guard Tidus Willie finished with 18 points followed by senior guard Davis Dreisbach with 9.
He noted the Mustangs stayed within striking distance until the end of the third quarter.
“Offensively, we’re still finding our way,” the coach said. “We’re able to take advantage of some things and other things we can’t. We had 9 offensive rebounds or close to that.”
But no matter the score, Crain applauded his players’ efforts.
“Our competitive spirit is something I’m proud of,” he said. “I think we have more to show. We’re incorporating more and getting more guys back. We’re not whole. But we’re getting there. I’m good with where we are, given the circumstances.”
Marble Falls welcomes Austin McCallum Tuesday, Nov. 21, in its home opener before enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday. The subvarsities play at 10 a.m. with the varsity at 11:30 a.m.
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