WIMBERLEY — It wasn’t a buzzer beater thriller, but it was a thrilling basketball game just the same. Wimberley’s win on Friday, Feb. 9, over visiting District 27 rival Fredericksburg came with two seconds remaining on the clock.
PHOTO BY WAYLAND D. CLARK
Wimberley’s Paul Gumbert-Mendoza (No. 14) drives past Fredericksburg’s Brayton Staedtler (No. 10) to the basket for a layup. Gumbert-Mendoza had a pair of three-pointers, eight field goals and was 12 for 14 at the line, including two free throws to win the game.[/caption]
The drama began with Wimberley trailing 61-59 and just over two minutes in the final period. The ball was passed to a wide-open Ethan Sharp who was in three-point range in the corner near the Texans bench. The hometown crowd erupted in cheer after the senior used both hands to launch a shot to give Wimberley a 62-61 lead. That score remained until Fredericksburg tied the game with under a minute on a free throw.
“It wasn’t really a designed play. We’re just trying to score and make it a closer game,” Sharp said after the game. “I had the opportunity in the corner and luckily I made it.”
Sharp, who head coach Mike Whitten said has made eleven three- pointers in a game, got open and from the same spot again hit his second consecutive three-point shot with 21.83 seconds for a 65-62 Texans lead.
“He’s had eleven threes in a game and has over one hundred on the season,” Whitten said, “But those two tonight were huge.”
The Texans were kept off the board while Fredericksburg made a free throw with 14.8 seconds on the clock and then tied the game 65-65 leaving 8.5 seconds on the clock. It was just enough time for Gumbert-Mendoza to drive to the basket and draw the foul.
A block was called when Paul Gumbert-Mendoza drove to the basket for a layup and crashed into a Fredericksburg player. The shot tied the game 65-65. The foul call opened the door for a Texans win. Gumbert-Mendoza had the hot hand all night and led the team with 34 points, including the two free throws to seal the victory. Fredericksburg would get the ball back, but time expired before they could get a shot off.
Fredericksburg, held to only 9 points in the final period. Gumbert-Mendoza had 34 points, Kaegen Davis 9, Bryson Anderson 8, Sharp 7, Holden Crawford 5 and Gavin Olmer 4.
Wimberley secured third place with the win and a spot in the bi-district playoffs set for Feb. 19-20.
Wimberley wins 67-65 in thriller
It wasn’t a buzzer beater thriller, but it was a thrilling basketball game just the same. Wimberley’s win on Friday, Feb. 9, over visiting District 27 rival Fredericksburg came with two seconds remaining on the clock.
- 02/14/2024 06:00 PM
