Marble Falls girls basketball loses to Salado

CAPTION: Marble Falls sophomore forward Addy Wood continues to lead the Lady Mustangs’ offensive attack. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Marble Falls High School girls basketball team lost to Salado 48-35 Feb. 3 in District 24-4A play.

The Lady Mustangs (15-16, 6-2) led 12-11 after the opening stanza.

“That first quarter was great for us,” head coach Canales said. “We started the game exactly how I wanted to. We were being aggressive, dictating the pace (and) doing what we wanted to do.”

But the Lady Eagles (25-7, 8-0) struck back by outscoring Marble Falls 14-6 in the second period for a 25-18 lead at the half.

“Then in the second quarter, they got us,” the coach said. “We just weren’t being as aggressive, and it got us out of our rhythm a little bit, and it cost us.”

Still, he said, the the Lady Mustangs had some momentum toward the end of the half they used as the basis for what Canales told his players.

“We were able to reset,” he said.  

That allowed Marble Falls to strengthen its resolve by tightening on defense and converting offensive opportunities. By the end, the Lady Mustangs scored 12 points to the Lady Eagles’ 7 though Salado led 32-30 going into the final quarter.

“Again, just kind of dictating the pace, being aggressive going downhill, getting to the foul line,” Canales said. “In the middle of the third and fourth quarters, we went out on a run.”

A 13-3 Salado run in the middle of the fourth period determined the outcome.

“That pretty much decided it,” the coach said.  

Sophomore forward Addy Wood led with 11 points followed by freshman forward Emma Martin with seven, sophomore guard Ally Moran added six, senior center Leslie Reynoso scored five, and sophomore guard Mikaela Valdez, junior forward Alexis Sprott and senior guard Rayleigh Crim each finished with two.

Salado shot 45 percent from the floor to Marble Falls’ 22 percent.

“They’re good at home,” Canales said. “To keep it close the whole way just speaks to how we’re playing. We were getting to the foul line a ton. We were 19 for 29 from the foul line; they were 2 for 4. We didn’t foul them. We were playing tough defense. They just hit tough shots over good defense, and it got us.”

Salado’s venue is unlike the rest of the district. It’s small with fans able to reach out and touch the players. The first row isn’t available to fans.

“You can’t sit in the first row because our chairs back up to it,” Canales said. “It’s a cramped environment right on top of you.”

The outcome clinched the district title for Salado. But the result didn’t help anyone else in the district since Marble Falls beat Lampasas last week to sweep the season series to ensure the Lady Mustangs will enter the Class 4A Division I playoffs as the district’s No. 1 seed. That’s because Marble Falls has the first tiebreaker if the Lady Mustangs and Lampasas have identical district records – head-to-head outcomes.

The Lady Badgers followed the Marble Falls loss with a 42-30 setback at home against Jarrell.

Two games remain in the regular season. Marble Falls welcomes Taylor Friday, February 6, with the junior varsity playing at 5 p.m. and the varsity to follow. Between the contests, the program will honor Crim and Reynoso on senior night.

CAPTION: Marble Falls senior center Leslie Reynoso. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro