A span of seconds determines Mustangs’ fate in last game
MARBLE FALLS — For 31 minutes and 20 seconds, Marble Falls High School was the better boys basketball team against Dripping Springs Feb. 14.
The Mustangs (6-26, 0-12) led during their last game and stayed in front, 52-44, with four minutes.
But an incredible series of events allowed the Tigers to seize control of the contest en route to a 65-54 victory to end the season.
Dripping Springs senior guard Collin Tubbs was fouled as he attempted a 3-pointer. After the official blew the whistle, one of the Mustangs bounced the ball hard enough off the floor that it flew through his hands.
The official gave Marble Falls a technical foul and awarded Tubbs all five free throws, which he made.
Dripping Springs inbounded the ball and scored a field goal to trim the deficit 52-51.
That led to a 21-3 run in the final 3:20 to close out the contest.
"There were some very unfortunate plays that happened in that sequence," head coach Bruce Etheridge said. "The air went out of our balloon. It was hard to get the guys recovered. We controlled the game for all but 40 seconds."
Indeed. The Mustangs played the way fans hoped they would the entire season. They took an 18-12 lead thanks to passing to junior post Rey Baltazar and senior post Gayln Griffin in the first quarter and maintained a 30-26 advantage at the half. By the end of the third, Marble Falls led 47-40 and didn’t allow Dripping Springs to settle into any kind of rhythm.
But that changed midway through the final period.
What stumped fans is the officials didn’t give Dripping Springs a technical foul minutes earlier for committing the same act Marble Falls was penalized for.
"We really wanted to go out with a win for our seniors," Etheridge said.
Baltazar led the Mustangs with 13 points followed by Griffin with 10, senior guard Clynt Powell added nine and junior guard Joey Blackledge and sophomore swingman Garrett Gray each finished with eight.
Tubbs led all scorers with 30 points, 14 points coming from the foul line. He made 11 free throws in the fourth quarter. No other Tiger was in double figures.