Marble Falls boys basketball goes 2-3 at Subway Classic

CAPTION: Marble Falls junior Garen Jones is fouled as he attempts a lay-up. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Marble Falls High School boys basketball team showed several traits during its own Subway Classic that helped it earn a 2-3 record.

“We competed in all five games against quality opponents,” head coach Travis Crain said.

The Mustangs finished the tournament with a 64-45 loss to Copperas Cove Dec. 2 after beating El Paso Bowie 45-37 to start the day. Marble Falls lost to Cedar Park High 65-43 after beating San Antonio Edison 51-42, both on Dec. 1. They began the tournament with a 64-61 double overtime loss to Lufkin Hudson, ranked No. 2 in Class 4A by Maxpreps.com.

Crain noted that in the losses, Marble Falls was within striking distance for a couple of quarters. The Mustangs faced an eight-point deficit against Cedar Park with two minutes left in the third period and led Copperas Cove 26-25 at the half.

“When you have that great of a tournament, you take the positives,” he said. “They were in every game.”

That includes the loss to Copperas Cove that featured a Bulldog team that was quick and athletic. The key to their success was hitting high-percentage shots in the lane and needing one attempt to do so. That was the big adjustment from the first half, when Marble Falls led 20-16 after the first stanza and 26-25 at the intermission.

“Copperas Cove’s length bothered us,” Crain said. “You’re used to shooting over a certain length and then all of the sudden, it’s a couple of inches larger. We had some good looks in the paint that didn’t drop.”

The Mustangs missed at least four 2-footers in the first quarter, shots that Copperas Cove didn’t struggle to make.

Crain noted his team’s half-court defense put it in position for a win.

“Our half-court defense was what it had to be,” he said. “We tried to minimize their runs and prevent them from going on runs as much as we could. They were able to capitalize on second-chance opportunities, and that’s what got us.”

Marble Falls senior guard Kody Smith showed consistency in making shots, averaging about 23 points a contest during the tournament. While Crain commended the senior for his hot shooting, the coach believes Smith is just getting started.

“I think the best is still ahead for Kody,” he said. “As he gets into the flow and gets off on the right foot, … the best is still ahead. We still have another level to reach with him.”

He also was pleased with junior point guard Tidus Willie’s contributions, some of which don’t show up in the scorebook. Willie is a classic point guard, unafraid to challenge posts by driving to the hoop and taking the hard fouls while also distributing them to protect the rim from breakaway lay-ups. He also sets up his teammates for wide-open looks and is committed to making everyone around him look good.

“Tidus is consistent and does affect the game and causes matchup nightmares,” Crain said. “Tidus does that in every game.”

While the loss to Hudson — in double overtime where Willie forced one overtime with a 3-pointer and came close to forcing a third had his 3-pointer fallen — wasn’t how the Mustangs wanted to begin the tournament, it served as as opportunity for Marble Falls to get a barometer. Junior forward Garen Jones said he and his teammates looked forward to playing the Hornets because of the ranking.

Jones and Crain indicated they liked what they saw from the Mustangs throughout the game.

“You have to get back up to play four more,” Crain said. “The end of that game felt like we played three (contests). We felt the effects of it as the tournament wore on. We’ve always had great talks and adjustments. Morning games take a toll on you. I’m so proud of our effort. Our kids fought. They played with everything they have.”

Marble Falls travels to Fredericksburg Tuesday, Dec. 5. The freshmen play at 5 p.m., the junior varsity follows at 6:15 p.m., and the varsity plays at 7 p.m. in the main gym at the conclusion of the Lady Billies’ contest.

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