Despite loss, Mustangs off to good start, coach says

JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF

BASTROP — The Marble Falls High School boys basketball team lost 64-49 to Bastrop Cedar Creek on Nov. 18.

Despite the loss, new head coach Paul Gammage said the Mustangs (0-1) got the start he wanted.

“We played the way we wanted,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of firepower, so we have to make people work hard to guard us.”

Marble Falls controlled the pace for a 9-8 lead after the first quarter. Then, the two teams played to a 21-21 tie at the half.

On offense, Marble Falls worked for high-percentage shots by the posts. At times, a possession could take almost 30 seconds.

“We’re not forcing bad shots, and we want to get people out of position,” Gammage said. “We’re making them work.”

The second half belonged to the Eagles.

Behind the play of 6-foot-6-inch senior post Davohn Anderson, Cedar Creek seized control of the contest. If Anderson wasn’t shooting, he was setting up his teammates for long-range jumpers. After going 1 for 11 from the 3-point line in the first half, the Eagles nailed five in the second.

And Anderson also was active when it came to rebounding. That gave Cedar Creek extra shots on possessions.

By the end of the third period, Marble Falls trailed 42-34.

To get back in the contest, the Mustangs went to a full-court defensive press. But few things slowed the Eagles.

Despite the scoreboard, Gammage said he saw plenty of positives.

“We’ve been practicing to play physical, play tough, to not quit in any possession,” he said. “We got all those things.”

When the players watched film, the coach pointed out where they could have scored points in each possession.

Some of the athletes have not played together, so they’re still working on their chemistry, the coach said, and they’re still adjusting to a new playbook.

“We’ve improved a lot in the last couple of weeks,” he said. “As they get comfortable, we’ll be better.”

The Mustangs travel to Killeen Ellison, 909 E. Elms Road in Killeen, for a 7:15 p.m. tip-off Nov. 21.

jfierro@thepicayune.com