Marble Falls boys basketball beats McCallum
CAPTION: Marble Falls senior guard Tidus Willie keeps playing his kind of basketball that includes scoring and tough defense. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Marble Falls High School boys basketball team defeated Austin McCallum 50-48 Nov. 19.
The Mustangs (3-1) have won three games in a row.
Marble Falls had a five-point lead, but the Knights connected on one more attempt just before the end of the game.
“We were trying not to foul,” head coach John Berkman said. “They hit a three at the horn that didn’t matter.”
Marble Falls led 10-6 after the first quarter and were down 26-20 at the half.
During the intermission, Berkman emphasized the need to be better at rebounding. That resulted in a 36-35 advantage going into the final stanza.
“We had to scrap and fight hard to take the lead and hold on to it,” the coach said.
The Mustangs also connected on 8 of 10 free throws.
Berkman’s teams are known for playing tenacious defense, so it’s always high praise when he points it out.
“I loved our effort, especially on the defensive end,” he said. “In the second half, we picked up our rebounding and did a great job. In the first half, we struggled to get rebounds.”
Illness sidelined one Mustang, so coaches had to make adjustments to the lineup and the rotation.
“We mixed it up and played well,” Berkman said.
Senior guard Tidus Willie led with 15 points followed by sophomore guard Beckett Berkman with 11, senior guards Isaiah Lazos and Roman Brown and senior post Noah Lyon each contributed 6, sophomore forward Marc Barrios scored 4, and junior center Cameron Plumlee finished with 2.
“Cameron is working hard for us,” Berkman said. “He’s coachable and trying to get right what we want him to do. It’s a good journey.”
Overall, the coach was pleased with the win, especially one where the staff made game adjustments at the half and could see the Mustangs implement them such as crashing the boards to get rebounds.
He also noted opponents don’t always show on film everything they plan to do against the Mustangs. Many times opposing coaches have installed a new play or tweaked an older play that has a different shooter. So the ability to quickly adapt is a must.
In short squads that can implement adjustments immediately extend their seasons.
“The best teams are the ones who make adjustments,” Berkman said. “If you can’t adjust, that’s a problem.”
The contest against Llano that was originally scheduled for Friday, Nov. 22, is cancelled because the Yellow Jackets are in the football Class 3A Division I playoffs.
The Mustangs welcome Lake Belton at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, with the varsity playing at 11:30 a.m.
