Leading just 12-9 after one quarter, the Brownwood Lions offense kicked into high gear, stretching the lead to 17 points by halftime and 22 points heading into the fourth period of a 73-47 triumph over the Comanche Indians Tuesday night at Warren Gym.
The victory was the third in a row for Brownwood (5-2), which shook off a slow start against a winless Comanche (0-4) squad.
“I told the guys we were going to try and sub a lot and get some guys going early,” said Lions head coach Will Parker. “I thought we did a good job subbing guys in and trying to get a rhythm with them. And when we shoot the ball well we’re going to be really tough. I’m really proud of the team effort. It wasn’t just one man out there, it was everybody playing together.”
Casey Friebel led the offensive assault with a season-high 37 points, including 18 points in the third quarter and 13 points in the second period.
“When he gets in rhythm he’s tough,” Parker said of Friebel. “What’s nice is guys are passing him the ball with the confidence of wanting him to shoot and then they’re flying to the rim ready for the rebound, too. Confidence in the game of basketball is huge and our guys are playing with a lot of confidence right now.”
Ross Strasner also finished in double figures with 19 points, as he and Friebel have established themselves as a formidable 1-2 punch for the Lions offense.
“Ross is going to have to play big for us, he’s going to have to do it all,” Parker said. “His defense, his rebounding and his passing, it has to be on point. He’s going to play a lot of minutes and I think he’s up for it. He’s been working his tail off in the offseason and I think this is the time of year he’s been ready for and I’m glad he’s playing well.”
Devin Eanes tacked on nine points, Bennett Windham scored three, Santiago Alvizo and Elias Perez chipped in two apiece and Durham Brown contributed one point for Brownwood. Meanwhile, Weston Wolf and Braeden Stacks made their season debuts Tuesday night, rounding out the varsity roster.
For Comanche, Alex Terrell recorded a team-high 14 points trailed by nine each from Cayden Davis and CT Buford, seven from Cooper Welch, three from Manuel Ortiz, two points apiece from Camren Nelson and Peyton Baugh, and one point from Dallas Gillette.
The Lions are back in action Thursday as they open play in the three-day Dublin tournament against Huckabay, which is ranked No. 6 in Class 1A.
“We play Huckabay at 8 a.m. in the morning and we like mornings, that’s when we practice,” Parker said. “I want us to come out and play a dang good state-ranked Huckabay team that we know really well and play in rhythm and move and be able to run some offense because they’re going to be a really good half-court defensive team.”