Marble Falls girls basketball show improvement during loss

CAPTION: Marble Falls senior center Lexie Edwards (left) and junior forward Bethany Fry spend lots of time around the basket as scoring threats or defenders. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Marble Falls girls basketball team lost to the Texas Lions 53-38 Dec. 12.

The Lions are a homeschool program.

The Lady Mustangs raced to a 10-2 lead to begin the contest. But the Lions responded thanks a 17-2 run where they only needed one shot per possession and got the lucky bounces. By the end of the first period, the Lions led 20-12.

But in less than 3 minutes, Marble Falls trimmed the deficit to 22-16. Both teams stiffened defensively though the Lions answered with a couple of buckets for a 26-16 advantage with 2:30 left in the half.

Senior center Lexie Edwards made two free throws, but the Lions added six points for the 32-18 lead at the intermission.

Both teams scored 11 points apiece in the third stanza and the Lions outscored the Lady Mustangs 10-9 in the final period.

During the final 16 minutes of play, the Lady Mustangs showed plenty of positives.

Sophomore center Leslie Reynoso passed to junior guard Caitlynn Johnson during a press breaker for a lay-up. Junior forward Kylie Roberts took a hard foul near the basket and scored both free throws, while junior post Bethany Fry displayed a consistency to hit shots near the basket. One play resulted in a 3-point play, while another involved making four passes from one corner around the perimeter to a wide-open Fry on the low block for a bucket to trim the deficit to 47-36.

But that’s as close as Marble Falls would get as the Lions scored and then stalled in the final minutes.

Head coach John Berkman pointed out the differences in the game.

“In the first and second quarter, we turned it over and didn’t box out,” he said. “We have girls who are running hard but not with purpose.”

That means they’re quickly getting from one end of the court to the other but are reacting to what they’re seeing as opposed to knowing what to do when they get there.

Fry led with 11 points followed by Edwards with 8. Sophomore guard Rayleigh Trim, Johnson and Roberts each added 5, while junior guard Kenadie Cotton and sophomore guard Lila Pangborn had 2 apiece. Marble Falls was 12 of 16 from the foul line.

Berkman noted seeing that many players in the scorebook was a big positive, too.

Marble Falls visits New Braunfels High Friday, Dec. 15, with the sub varsities playing at 5 p.m. and the varsity at 6:30 p.m.

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