Lobo point guard DeAndre Carson pulls up for a jump shot in the paint during Lehman’s 60-57 comeback win over Class 5A New Braunfels High. It was one of the most impressive victories in the history of the Lehman boys basketball program and it came in front of a very supportive home crowd. (photo by Stephen Cooper)
by MARK CAUL
When senior captain Tarale Murry slammed home a slashing highlight-reel dunk over New Braunfels High forward Aaron Underwood early in the second quarter, the Lehman Lobos fans rose to their feet.
But it was the game’s final buzzer when they got out of their seats and rushed the floor to celebrate one of the most impressive performances in program history.
After Tyler Hirsch’s desperation 3-point heave fell short at the buzzer for the Unicorns, Lehman had secured a comeback victory over Class 5A New Braunfels.
Murry scored an impressive 19 points in his first organized basketball game in nearly a year and sophomore point guard DeAndre Carson added 16 as Lehman posted a resounding 60-57 win at a packed Lobo Gym on Friday night.
Once the game ended each Lobo player climbed into the stands to acknowledge what had been a boisterous Lobo fan base the entire night.
“Our guys fed off the energy of our crowd because they were tremendous tonight,” Lehman head coach Thomas Acker said. “This was probably one of our better wins since I’ve been here. It was an eye-opening experience for us.”
Murry played only seven games last season because of injuries.
During a frenetic fourth quarter in which both teams built eight-point leads, the Lobos went on a 14-3 run midway through the period to turn a 45-37 deficit into a 51-48 lead as senior Dane Peddycoart buried a pair of 3-pointers from the corner and Carson added another one on consecutive offensive trips for the Lobos.
Lehman senior post Adam Woodworth also contributed a breakaway dunk after an acrobatic steal and pass from Carson during the same run.
“That stretch was huge for us because we were able to make some plays when we needed them,” said Acker. “On top of that, we really stayed poised when they made their run. We grew up a little bit tonight.”
The Unicorns made one final charge with less than two minutes to go when they closed to within 53-51.
Peter Guiterrez, Carson and Peddycoart each made free throws to give the Lobos a 59-53 cushion before Aaron Underwood and Tyler Hirsch each hit 3-point bombs to bring New Braunfels back within 59-57 with under a minute to go in the contest.
With only 13 seconds to play, Guiterrez connected on the front end of a one-and-one but missed the second free throw and New Braunfels had one final chance to tie the game.
After a timeout, the Unicorns (1-1) managed to work the ball around to Hirsch, who launched a shot that fell short and the Lobos were able to escape with an impressive win.
“The last three minutes got a little hectic but we just kept our cool and stayed together,” Murry said. “It was an exciting game to be a part of.”
Lehman (2-0) will continue non-district action against Austin Lanier and Vandegrift before the Thanksgiving holidays.
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