Lady Stangs take control in Leander; get first district win

The Marble Falls High School girls’ basketball team got a big road win in District 25-5A with a 66-48 victory against Leander on Dec. 21.

The Lady Mustangs (11-7 overall, 1-2 district) led from the opening tip-off, head coach John Berkman said.

“It was a solid game for us from start to finish,” he said. “We were in control the whole time. Our girls did a great job of sticking to the game plan.”

The Lady Mustangs led 15-10 after the opening period, 32-26 at the half, and 43-40 going into the final period. The Lady Mustangs’ fast breaks and their ability to cover the length of the court in a hurry played a factor in the outcome.

“We also got a lot of good things in transition. It’s always good to get out in transition,” Berkman said. “We finally pulled away in the fourth quarter. But really and truly, I never felt like we weren’t in control of the game.”

The Lady Mustangs had three players in double figures led by sophomore post Lexie Edwards with 21 points and junior guard Alyssa Berkman with 12 points. Junior point guard Tea Rodriguez contributed another 11 points. Other Lady Mustangs added baskets as well, which ensured defenders couldn’t double team anyone.

Though the lead shrank after the third quarter, Berkman noted most opponents will force winning teams to earn victories. And Leander was no different. He commended his players for their unselfishness in recognizing which teammates were experiencing a good shooting day.

“We talk a lot about that with our girls,” he said. “Every team is going to make a run. Can you withstand the run? Can you make a run of your own? I felt like we did a really good job. (Our objective) was to attack the goal. We were causing (Leander) to be on their heels on defense.”

Berkman also commended the play of junior Emma Koziel, who contributed in ways the stats sheet doesn’t record such as deflections and touches to ensure the offense ran smoothly.

“She got her hands on a lot of balls playing defense,” he said. “That disrupts the offense. It causes the receiver of the pass to get out of position or it causes us to go get the steal. She pushed the ball a lot of times and attacked the goal. She did a lot of dirty work. Emma stood out.”

The Lady Mustangs will enjoy the Christmas holiday before boarding a bus for the prestigious Mansfield Spring Creek Barbecue Invitational Tournament on Tuesday-Thursday, Dec. 28-30, hosted by the Mansfield Independent School District. Marble Falls begins bracket play against Amarillo at 9:45 a.m. at Summit High School, 1071 Turner Warnell Road in Arlington.