Faith Academy boys basketball beats St. Stephens

CAPTION: Being unafraid to draw contact and still go to the hoop is one reason why senior guard Jase Marshall handles the ball. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Faith Academy of Marble Falls boys basketball team scorched Austin St. Stephens 68-51 Dec. 19.

The Spartans led 13-10 with 1 minute and 55 seconds remaining in the first half, but the Flames (11-8) responded with an 11-0 run that lasted about three minutes for a 21-13 advantage.

St. Stephens answered with a 6-2 run to trim the deficit to 23-19 with 5:04 left in the half.

After a timeout, the Flames finished the half on a 9-0 run for a 32-23 lead.

Faith outscored St. Stephens 18-15 in the third period for a 57-38 advantage going into the final stanza.

It could have been more. The Flames had a 20-point lead in the third, but head coach Zakk Revelle credited his counterpart, Spartans head coach Christian Spencer, for that.

“We were up 20 with three minutes left,” Revelle said. “Coach Spencer is a really good coach, and we knew that they weren’t going to go away. You’re almost happy that it happens in a non-district game. I get asked sometimes ‘how come you don’t put guys in when you’re up by 20?’ In some people’s eyes, 20 is a pretty big lead. But for most basketball coaches that have been doing it for more than a couple years, 20 is a small lead in this today’s game with the fact that people love to shoot 3-pointers. With three minutes to go in the third quarter, it’s a seven-possession game. If you hit seven 3-pointers, you’re up by one. In my opinion, it’s still a game and we had a younger group in, we were in some foul trouble.”

The Flames showed they can score in a variety of ways. Senior guard Jase Marshall drove to the basket to draw the defense and then dumped to either senior center Judah Phillips or a teammate on the perimeter or he scored a lay-up. He finished with 13 points.

Sophomore guard Jadyn Jenkins’ defensive pressure produced steals that he converted into lay-ups thanks to faking a pass as he took a step before he elevated for the shot or went to the foul line where he was a perfect 6 for 6 to end with 16 points.

Junior forward Wade Dillard crashed the boards on both ends and took advantage of his opportunities, including hitting a 3-pointer in the third period. He scored 11 points.

“We have Jadyn and Wade who have come off the bench,” Revelle said. “Wade started (this game). Jadyn is our finisher. Jadyn had not scored since Dec. 6. When that first 3-pointer went in for him, I was really excited. He’s resilient and did a good job.”

But Phillips showed his ability to confuse defenders on the low block. He showed improved footwork while turning around to score. Many times his body was behind the backboard as he switched hands to use the backboard to complete the attempt. He finished with 18 points including going 8 for 11 from the foul line. Revelle said the center has worked tirelessly to get stronger in the weight room and on the court to get better at ball handling and moving toward the basket all in an attempt to create opportunities and then finish them.

“It’s just a testament to the work that he’s put in over the years,” he said. “Judah works hard, and he shows up to practice ready to work. He does stuff before, he does stuff after, he’s in the weight room, so he does all the things that you want him to do. So it’s really fun as a coach to see it play out in front of you and to be able to see him succeed. Now that he’s in his senior year there’s probably not a defense he hasn’t seen; he’s seen every defense. It’s just a testament to his growth.”

Revelle also was pleased to see three other Flames in double figures and believes having a player like Phillips, who stands 6 feet and 10 inches, allows others to contribute to the scoring, too.

“There’s a couple of places where he kicked it out,” the coach said. “That was the right basketball play. Honestly, we feel like we have eight starters. Dillard stepped up big and had a double-digit game. He played well. He hit a big 3-pointer that helped and then hit two big free throws down the stretch. It’s a good thing to have that many guys in the rotation. Luckily we have a group that doesn’t really care who the starters are. When you can do that with eight guys you feel like can start, we’re not panicked.”

The Flames will enjoy the Christmas holiday and return Tuesday, Dec. 30 for a road trip to New Braunfels Christian at 3:30 p.m. then host San Antonio Keystone in the District 4-3A opener of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Saturday, Jan. 3, with the junior varsity playing at 1 p.m. and the varsity to follow.   

CAPTION: Faith Academy senior center Judah Phillips controls the lane for the Flames and makes opponents uncomfortable. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro