Faith boys fall to Waco Vanguard; girls keep up winning streak
Faith Academy of Marble Falls junior guard Taylor Denton (left) is on her way to the basket during the Lady Flames' 66-19 win against Waco Vanguard on Feb. 4. Courtesy photo
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS — The Faith Academy of Marble Falls boys basketball team lost 59-53 to Waco Vanguard in a district contest Feb. 4.
It was a closer outcome than in the first game the two teams played Jan. 17, with the Vikings winning 71-29.
With the victory, Waco Vanguard (24-3 overall, 8-0 in district) remains in first place in District 4-2A of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools and extend its winning streak to 17. The Vikings are ranked No. 4 in the small private schools poll of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.
The Flames (10-7, 6-2) trailed 56-51 with 18 seconds left when junior post Joseph Woods drove into the lane for a layup.
But Vanguard senior forward Joe Schwartz scored the final three points, all on free throws, to propel his team to the win.
“I thought we could win, and we could have,” Faith head coach Randy Denton said. “We were one 3-pointer away from scaring the dog out of them. They were going down; they just didn’t stay down.”
Faith trailed throughout the contest, losing 19-16 at the end of the first quarter, 31-29 at the half and 45-37 after three periods.
Denton said foul trouble forced him to sit some players during the third quarter, and the Vikings took advantage.
It also didn’t help that Faith was 14 of 28 from the foul line, while Vanguard was 10 of 15, he said.
jfierro@thepicayune.com
TOP PLAYERS: (Faith) Joseph Woods 23 points (12 in the first half); Rawley Jackson 17 points. (Vanguard) Joe Schwartz 21 points (6 of 8 free throws), 12 rebounds, 2 steals; Tyler Sawyer 13 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal.
ON OFFENSE: points — (Faith) Rich Coleman 5, Zach Haydon 3, Dylan Bradberry 2, Sam Marrs 1
RECORDS: Faith is 10-7 overall and 6-2 in district; Vanguard is 24-3 overall and 8-0 in district.
UP NEXT: 7:15 p.m. Feb. 6, Faith Academy at Waco Texas Christian, 4600 Sanger Ave. in Waco
Faith Academy girls 66, Waco Vanguard 19
MARBLE FALLS — The Faith Academy of Marble Falls girls basketball team defeated Waco Vanguard 66-19 on Feb. 4 to remain unbeaten in District 4-2A of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.
The Lady Flames now have won 85 consecutive district contests and are on an 11-game winning streak.
Faith didn’t score a field goal until three minutes 38 seconds remained in the first quarter for a 3-0 lead. By the end of the period, the Lady Flames led 15-0. That advantage ballooned to 39-10 at halftime.
In the middle of third quarter, the mercy rule was activated, triggering a running clock the rest of the way.
TOP PLAYERS: Taylor Denton 17 points, 5 assists, 7 steals, 3 rebounds; Juliette Fisher 11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
ON OFFENSE: points – Hannah Cozby 9, Joanna Piatek 8, Sierra Brinkley 7, Susanna Case 6, Kristen Cherry 4, Alisha Williams 2, Laura Benac 2; assists – Piatek 3, Cherry 2, Brinkley 1, Case 1, Williams 1; rebounds – Brinkley 2, Piatek 1, Cherry 1, Case 1, Cozby 1
ON DEFENSE: steals – Brinkley 7, Piatek 4, Fisher 3, Cherry 2, Case 1, Cozby 1; rebounds – Cozby 5, Cherry 4, Piatek 2; blocks – Brinkley 3, Cozby 2, Williams 1
RECORDS: Faith is 23-4, 8-0 in district
UP NEXT: 6 p.m. Feb. 6, Faith Academy at Waco Texas Christian, 4600 Sanger Ave. in Waco; 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7, Faith vs. Holland at The Fire Pit, three miles east of Marble Falls off RR 1431