Last second shot decides Faith Academy-Marble Falls boys basketball winner

CAPTION: Junior forward Marc Barrios hit several shots on different spots to give the Mustangs a chance against the Flames. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Faith Academy of Marble Falls boys basketball team defeated Marble Falls 42-39 Dec. 9.

This game was historic because it’s the first time the Mustangs and the Flames have met in an official game in any sport.

“It was a fun game, a competitive game – that’s what we want is to play in competitive games,” Mustangs head coach John Berkman said. “We gave ourselves a chance. Love that our guys fought all the way to the end, made the adjustments that we needed to make at different times, and had the ball with three seconds to go. We ran the play exactly how we drew it up in the timeout and it’s just the way it goes at the end.” 

“We played good defense,” Flames head coach Zakk Revelled said. “If you hold a team to 39 points and six of those are coming at the end of the game, that’s a pretty good night.”

Faith had a 36-28 lead going into the final stanza that went to 39-28 thanks a free throw by senior center Judah Phillips and a steal and lay-up by sophomore forward Hutton Lehmberg.

But the Mustangs responded with a shot at the free throw line by junior forward Marc Barrios thanks to an assist by junior guard Beckett Berkman with 3 minutes and 18 seconds remaining.

With 2:14 left, the Mustangs, who were still trailing 39-31, called a timeout. When they returned, Barrios hit a jumper from inside the paint. But Phillips hit two free throws with 1:46 left.

Though Faith got a steal, the Mustangs clamped down defensively. Berkman came back and hit a 3-pointer with about a minute left to play.

Faith senior guard Jase Marshall scored a free throw then tipped a pass to Lehmberg though the Flames didn’t capitalize.

Berkman found Barrios in the right corner for a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 42-39 with seven seconds left in regulation.

“As soon as he let it fly, I was like, ‘Wow, it’s going in. Here we go,'” Revelle recalled thinking.

Two more missed Faith free throws resulted in the Mustangs grabbing the rebound and calling a timeout. with 2.31 seconds remaining.

When the players went back on the court, the Flames called a timeout.

Then junior forward Seattle Hampton deflected a pass that went out of bounds as the horn sounded to end the game, preserving a Faith victory.

Revelle noted the only time junior center Collten Kohutek played was in the last play of the game where he forced the inbounder to lob the ball, giving Hampton time to run over for the deflection.

“We want you to be pumped up whether you’re playing five seconds or all of the game,” he said. “Collten Kohutek literally lived that. Kudos to our guys for finishing the game. Even with missing the free throws at the end – we could have iced it. It is what is it. It’s part of the game, and we worked through it. And we’re just glad to get out with a win.”

Hampton got the scoring going by nailing a 3-pointer to start the game. But the Mustangs came storming back thanks to Beckett Berkman, who answered with five points.

That’s when Phillips took over, dropping in 10 his game-high 18 points to help the Flames build a 19-9 lead. Other contributors included Marshall, who dropped in six and junior forward Wade Dillard, who scored two.

“They made a run on us and that’s what basketball is,” John Berkman said. “It’s a game of runs and the team that can make more runs or hold off the other team’s runs more wins. That was a big one for them. We had a couple runs in the second half that were able to sustain us and keep us in the game and keep it close. But that definitely had an effect on it. There were moments in the game we had chances, we had defensive stops. We couldn’t finish on the offensive end.”  

In the second quarter, Barrios hit a 3-pointer and two free throws, while senior guard Gregory Lemon scored four points, Beckett Berkman added two and senior center Cameron Plumlee connected on a free throw. Hampton dropped in another 3-pointer and Phillips scored a bucket and a free to ensure Faith kept a 25-21 advantage at the half.

“They had eight points off of turnovers in the first half alone,” Revelle said. “I don’t know what it was in the second half, but we (keep track of) that during the game. And (in the first half) eight of their points are off of gimmes. I think we only scored six points in the second quarter, but to continue to hold them held them was good.”

Marble Falls cut it to 23-25 thanks to a bucket from the low block by junior forward Vance Levert.

Marshall scored on a drive to the basket and Hampton added a reverse lay-up to build a 29-23 lead with 6:28 left in the third quarter.

Barrios found Beckett Berkman in the right corner for a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 29-26. But Phillips scored the next four points on a sky hook and from the low block for a 33-26 advantage.

Beckett Berkman had a steal and found Lemon for a lay-up, but Marshall hit a 3-pointer for the 36-29 lead going into the final stanza.

Beckett Berkman dropped in 13 points followed by Barrios with 12, Lemon contributed six, junior guard Cypress Neve scored three, and Levert and guard Logan Guerrero finished with two. While other Mustangs didn’t score, John Berkman noted they contributed in numerous ways.

“(Senior forward Kaleb Bielfeldt) battled Judah,” he said. “I don’t know what else to do on Judah. (Bielfeldt) did everything we asked him to do, which was good. That’s the goal. You want your kids to work as hard as they can to try to win games.”

Marshall scored 12, Hampton contributed eight and Lehmberg and Dillard each had two.

“We knew it was going to be a grind-it-out game because they do a really good job of running their zone and mucking it up in the middle,” Revelle said. “And when you have a big guy, you want to throw it down there. Judah is a man – he played so well down low. He’s getting beat up all the time. It’s the nature of the game when you play the post. And when you look back at a basketball game, it’s never one play. But how about Jase Marshall’s three at the end of the third quarter that ends up being the difference in the game?”  

“Big kudos to coach Berkman for having his team ready,” he added. “They played really well. We know they’re a good team. We know that Beckett Berkman’s a really good player. And we knew they were going to hit shots – it’s their gym. They have some kids who can let it fly and hit some big shots. Kudos to them, really good job.”

Faith, ranked No. 3 in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 3A poll by voters of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, will travel to play Dallas Yavneh at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13. Yavneh is ranked No. 1 in the same poll.

The Mustangs will compete in the Waco Robinson Tournament Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 11-13. They face Lake Belton at 3:35 p.m. Thursday and Mexia at 9:55 a.m. Friday both in pool play. Their record determines who, when and where they play next.

CAPTION: Faith Academy senior center Judah Phillips (middle) had different Mustangs defend him, including senior center Cameron Plumlee. Phillips led all scorers with 18 points. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro