The first time Marion faced Berean Academy this season, Marion earned two victories, but in the teams? second meeting Tuesday night, Berean was the team that came away with two wins.
GIRLS?Whereas in the teams? first meeting, the Marion girls led from start to finish to win 47-34, Tuesday?s rematch did not follow the same storyline. The teams battled back and forth in a tightly contested game that ended with a one-point Berean victory after two overtime periods, 35-34.
This time, Berean jumped to a 6-1 advantage. A basket by Julia Hall brought Marion within 6-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Kaelyn Thierolf tied the score with a three-point play, but Berean surged 5-0 and led the duration of the half. Berean led, 17-12, at halftime.
Marion turned up its defensive pressure in the second half, and a Kirsten Hansen three-pointer ignited a 7-0 Marion run to take the lead, 19-17, after Megan Richmond scored with 4:15 left in the third quarter. Berean answered with six unanswered points to regain the advantage. Hansen scored in the final seconds of the period to bring Marion within 23-21 at the end of the third quarter.
Katey Ehrlich scored off a Thierolf steal to even the score, but after consecutive scores by Berean, Marion again faced a deficit. Thierolf scored to bring Marion within 27-25 with 2:15 to play, a margin that held until the final seconds. Ehrlich scored on a second-chance basket at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
Richmond scored 5 seconds in to boost Marion in front, 29-27. Berean missed a one-and-one opportunity and later turned the ball over, but Marion coughed the ball up, and two Berean free-throws evened the score at 29 with less than a minute left. Marion again turned the ball over, and the last-second shot by Berean missed its mark, sending the game into double overtime.
Berean scored first this time, but Kelli Hess hit a three-pointer that pushed Marion in front, 32-31. Marion endured some costly turnovers, and Berean reclaimed a 33-32 lead with two free throws.
Hansen scored with 50 seconds left to give Marion a 34-33 lead, but two free throws again pushed Berean in front, 35-34. After another Marion turnover, Marion was forced to foul with 4.3 seconds left on the clock. Neither free-throw fell for Berean, but a last-second shot by Ehrlich missed its mark.
Hess led Marion with 10 points.
BOYS?The first time Marion faced Berean this season, the game ended with a 44-42 Marion victory. But Tuesday night, Marion was on the losing end of a 54-39 score.
Timothy Knolla opened the game with a basket, but Berean surged to a 9-2 lead with 4:32 left in the first quarter. Marion outscored Berean 6-2 over the next three minutes, drawing within 11-8 after a three-point play by Bret Voth. The quarter ended with Berean in front, 12-8.
Berean extended its lead to 17-8, but Marion narrowed the gap to 17-13 after Taylor Heidebrecht made a basket with 4:35 left before halftime. Berean grabbed six straight offensive rebounds after that before managing a three-point play for a 20-13 lead. With Marion plagued by turnovers, Berean surged to a 25-13 halftime lead.
Berean?s lead remained in double figures until Zach Robson made a basket to narrow the gap to 28-19 with 4:58 left in the third quarter. When Grif Case drained a three-pointer at 2:02, Marion was within 32-26, and the third quarter ended with Berean in front, 36-28.
Berean pushed the lead back to double figures with a three-pointer to open the final quarter. A basket by James Jones brought Marion within 39-30, but Berean regained a double-digit lead with a basket at 6:24 and maintained it the duration of the game. Berean led by as many as 18 points. A three-pointer by Knolla with 1:08 left in the game brought Marion within the final, 54-39 margin.
Robson led Marion with 12 points.
COMING?Marion will compete in the Cougar Classic tournament at Centre next week.
