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Basketball: Marauders miss mark in OT loss to Bush
Matt Welch, mwelch@acnpapers.com
AUSTIN -- All season long, the Flower Mound Marcus boys basketball team has made it a point to dictate the final moments of each game and more specifically, each quarter.
But after staring at the waning seconds of the game clock all too often and waiting to make their move, the Marauders had their backs to the basket and on the defensive as Fort Bend Bush controlled the final moments of Friday’s Class 5A State Semifinal matchup from the Frank Erwin Center.
“[Bush] closed three of those quarters better than we did,” said Danny Henderson, Marcus head coach. “We had a couple times when we should have had the last shot in the quarter and we didn’t, gave the ball up and then they would finish with a basket.”
The overtime, which supplemented a 41-41 tie after regulation, featured long-winded possessions that left finishing at a premium. In Marcus’ case, the additional four minutes wielded just two free throw makes; courtesy of sophomore guard Marcus Smart, who recorded 14 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in his season finale.
Sophomore guard Phil Forte rode six makes from beyond the arc for a game-high 20 points.
The field goal-less overtime took upon the same dreary identity that haunted the first three quarters of Marcus basketball; action that wielded a batch of missed looks from the field and a total shooting clip of 35 percent.
“We had several chances to win,” Henderson said. “But the main thing is we came down here and shot 16-for-46 from the floor and we’re a great shooting team.”
Overcoming just a 3-for-10 mark in the opening quarter, Bush finished the evening shooting a shade over 43 percent, led by 19 points from Darius Richardson. Marcus, whose shooting numbers sunk as low as 26 percent during the third quarter, was granted its share of open looks throughout Friday’s contest, but one too many empty-handed possessions kept the pace in control of the Broncos.
“You can see we’re not very athletic,” Henderson said. “We were basically out-athleted at every position except for maybe Marcus Smart. It’s been that way all year, but they played great team defense and with an incredible amount of heart.”
Down by as many as 12 points at 33-21 with 90 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Marauders whittled the deficit down to 33-30 early in the fourth quarter. With all 13 of Marcus’ fourth quarter points stemming from the tandem of Forte and Smart, a 37-35 Marauder lead was reclaimed with six minutes remaining; the team’s first lead since the six-minute mark of the second quarter.
“[Smart and Forte] are studs,” Henderson said. “Those are studs and they don’t play like sophomores.”
Utilizing its vaunted sagging man defense, Marcus’ two-man attack was matched on the other end by Richardson and Jordan Clark, who scored 10 points. Compiling just six points in the paint during the first half, the Broncos settled for jumpers more often than not and coupled with Marcus’ slump, overcame a 12-7 trail after one quarter to lead 23-19 by the break.
The pace slowed dramatically in the second half, as Bush pulled out for a string of stall tactics in shortening the contest. Despite the limited possessions, the Marauders chipped back into the deficit. But in recording the final points in all but one quarter, the onus fell on the Marauder defense to bend, but not break after being on the other end of the sword throughout the majority of the season.
The Marauders saw their season capped at 37-3 with the first state tournament appearance in program history. The heads hung low after the heartbreaking defeat, but with three starters re-entering the fold next season, Henderson said he hopes this call to arms extends far beyond his usual crew of contributors.
“I hope it makes the guys who are sitting on the bench and will be filling in spots next year,” he said, “I hope it makes them hungry. There’s no doubt about Smart, Forte and (sophomore guard A.J.) Luckey being hungry.”
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