Marble Falls boys basketball beats Salado
CAPTION: Senior guard Tidus Willie led the Mustangs in scoring to help his team remain atop of the district standings. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Marble Falls High School boys basketball team defeated Salado 63-50 Dec. 31 to move to 2-0 in District 24-4A play.
“We played an uptempo game,” head coach John Berkman said. “We pressed the whole time.”
The Mustangs (11-6) led 19-10 after the first period, 34-21 at the half and 45-31 going into the final quarter.
The Eagles (9-13, 0-2) outscored Marble Falls 19-18 in the fourth period. Those numbers illustrated a Mustangs team that played at a consistently high level for 32 minutes.
“There were a couple of moments in the second half when (Salado) tried to make a run,” the coach said. “And every time, we were able to extend the lead. We weren’t trying to do too much and panic. For our team, that was a good sign to see from us.”
Seniors Tidus Willie, who scored 19 points, and Garen Jones, who added 18 points, led the Mustangs. Sophomore guard Beckett Berkman dropped in 10 points.
“They both played great games,” Berkman said of the seniors. “Today we scored 63 (points). It’s a good number to get to, for sure. In today’s (basketball), too many guys can score at a high rate. We stayed within ourselves and stuck with our game plan. If e don’t allow more than 50 points, we have a good chance to win.”
While those three Mustangs scored the majority of the points, the coach noted that others contributed to the scorebook by taking advantage of their opportunities when they came.
“We’re getting a lot of chip-ins from a lot of guys,” he said. “I think that is a good sign. If the others don’t do their parts, it’s hard for us to win.”
The victory puts the Mustangs atop of the district standings with Lampasas (15-7, 1-0) and Taylor (10-6, 1-0) as the other undefeated teams. The Badgers and Ducks meet Jan. 3.
“I think it says a lot about our team,” Berkman said. “Our guys are focused and locked in. Getting two district games is great, especially on the road. There’s no easy place to play. Those were gyms we hadn’t played in this year, and we’re getting two wins. I’m really proud of them.”
Marble Falls is on a bye Jan. 3 and will have its home district opener against Lampasas Tuesday, Jan. 7, with the varsity playing at 8 p.m.
