Mustang boys junior varsity falls to Tigers
DRIPPING SPRINGS — The Marble Falls High School junior varsity boys basketball team lost a hard-fought game to the undefeated Dripping Springs Tigers 47-40 on Jan. 20.
The Mustangs proved to be more than a match for the district-leading Tigers, holding Dripping Springs without a basket through the first quarter of play. All the Tigers could manage was a single free throw. The Mustangs took a 4-1 lead into the second.
In the second period, the potent Tiger offense began to click. Marble Falls continued to play hard and kept the game close. Junior Isiah Carson scored seven of his 10 points in the first half to keep the Mustangs within striking distance. Sophomore James Breyer added four and junior Nick O’Connor had three as Marble Falls trailed 20-14 at the half.
In the third quarter, Dripping Springs continued to roll. By the end, the Tigers had opened up a double-digit lead. Early in the fourth, the lead grew to 16. That’s when Mustangs coach Jeremy Gamez called a timeout.
Marble Falls came out in a full-court press that Gamez had installed during practice a couple of days earlier.
The Tigers were caught by surprise and looked out of sync on both ends of the court.
Sophomore guard Aidin Parnell scored 10 points in the fourth, connecting on 4 of 5 shots including two 3-pointers. His only miss, a 3-point attempt with 1 minute 42 seconds on the clock, would have cut the lead to one, but the shot rattled around the rim, fell halfway down and bounced back out. From there, it became a game of free throws, and the Tigers were up to the task.
Parnell finished the night with 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals. Carson added 10 points, seven rebounds and a steal. O’Connor scored seven points, grabbed two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Breyer had four points, two rebounds and an assist.
Sophomore Steven Petrosky had two points and tied Carson for team lead with seven rebounds, while adding a steal and an assist. Sophomore Keith Jerome finished the scoring with two points. He added three rebounds and a steal. Junior Darius Johnson added a rebound.
Sophomores Jordan Wright and Jose Navarro both played strong off the bench for the Mustangs.
Marble Falls hosts Cedar Park High at 6:15 p.m. Jan. 27 at Max Copeland Gym, 2101 Mustang Drive.