Marble Falls boys basketball beats Taylor
CAPTION: Marble Falls senior center Cam Plumlee made the most of his final regular season home game against Taylor. He scored 10 points on several high-percentage shots and a dunk and had numerous rebounds and blocked shots to ensure the win. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Marble Falls High School boys basketball team defeated Taylor 45-44 Feb. 6 to remain in the hunt for a playoff berth.
The fourth period was highlighted by each team matching each other basket for basket led by junior guards Cypress Neve and Beckett Berkman.
Neve broke the tie with a drive to the basket then Berkman scored a layup on a steal for a 38-34 lead midway through the quarter. But the Ducks answered with a 3-pointer and a putback to take a 39-38 advantage with 2:33 remaining in the contest.
Marble Falls junior forward Marc Barrios regained the lead 40-39 on a drive for a bucket that sent Taylor into a timeout with 2:03 left.
The Ducks added a basket on their own drive for a 41-40 advantage.
Both teams turned the ball over with neither defense allowing the offenses to get set up.
With 33 seconds remaining, the Mustangs turned the ball over on an inbounds play and fouled. Taylor senior Adrien Deary stepped to the line and hit the first free throw but missed the second for a 42-40 lead with 27.54 seconds.
Neve rebounded the miss and raced to the other end where he got a blocking call and hit a free throw to cut into the deficit 42-41 with 23.15 seconds left.
Again Deary was fouled and again he made 1 of 2 foul shots for a 43-41 advantage with 20.49 seconds remaining. But senior center Cam Plumlee rebounded the miss and passed to Berkman, who slashed his way to the basket and drew the foul.
The ball rolled off the rim, but the Mustang made both free throws to tie the game at 43-43.
With 8.14 seconds left, Deary was fouled but made the second of two free throws to break the tie 44-43.
Neve was fouled as he got to the paint with 6.56 seconds remaining and calmly hit both free throws, and then rebounded Taylor’s shot on the other end to secure the victory.
Marble Falls made 5 of its 6 foul shots in the final stanza for the win, which speaks volumes of Neve, who was 3 for 4, and Beckett Berkman, who made both of his attempts, their coach said.
“I just think it speaks to their mental toughness, really to be able to mentally block everything out that’s going on in that game, the crowd being crazy and loud and good calls, bad calls the whole game,” head coach John Berkman said. “Made shots, missed shots and anything and everything goes on in the game up to 12 seconds and eight seconds left or six seconds or whatever it was. That moment everybody wants, but you get nervous and for them to be able to both step up and knock those down – our guys handled the pressure, they stepped to the line, their habits showed up, and that’s difference in the game.”
The Mustangs led 8-5 after the opening stanza and 26-13 at the half thanks to outscoring the Ducks 18-8 thanks by getting seven consecutive stops twice in the second period.
“Towards the end of the first, it really started clicking,” the coach said. “And our guys really seemed to be playing really well together tonight in that little stretch of the second quarter, and it really got us going.”
But Taylor returned the favor by outscoring Marble Falls 18-8 in the third quarter. The Ducks began the period on 10-2 run that ended when Beckett Berkman drove to the hoop for a layup and Barrios added a 3-pointer for a 32-23 advantage with 3:37 remaining in the stanza.
The Ducks responded with another 6-2 run to trim the deficit to 34-31 going into the fourth quarter.
Plumlee and Beckett Berkman each scored 10 points followed by Neve with 9, Barrios added 7, junior guard Charlie Martin had 3, and senior forward Kaleb Bielfeldt, junior forwards Vance Levert and Cooper Gray each finished with 2.
Berkman believes the Mustangs’ habits of repetition paved the way to victory, especially in the fourth quarter when every possession counted and every whistle drew either cheers or boos.
“Habits of repetition are working on shooting preparation, what we do in practice by putting them in pressure situations that matter,” he said. “And tonight, it showed up. They were ready to go in those pressure moments.”
The win comes on the heels of losing to Georgetown Gateway 55-46 Feb 3. The Gators, who led 21-20 at the half, took advantage of some Marble Falls turnovers in the third period that led to around 10 points.
But the Mustangs refused to go away, trimming the deficit to about 3 points. But as time was running out, Marble Falls had to foul. To the Gators’ credit, they connected on 10 of 12 foul shots in final stanza, 16 for 26 in the contest to escape with the victory.
“We still felt like we were in it,” the coach said. “Offensively we struggled.”
Taylor beat Burnet (4-5) 51-48 Feb. 3, which sets up an interesting scenario.
Three games remain in the regular season. The Bulldogs go to Lampasas Feb. 10, welcome Marble Falls Feb. 13, and travel to Jarrell Feb. 17.
Marble Falls (3-6) ends the regular season on the road: at Jarrell Feb. 10, at Burnet Feb. 13, and at Salado Feb. 17.
If Burnet and Marble Falls each have five wins, there’s a chance the two would play at a neutral site to decide which team advances to the playoffs. The Bulldogs beat the Mustangs 43-38 at Max Copeland Gym to begin district play.
