Marion girls defeat Inman, boys fall in double OT

The Marion teams split their games with Inman Tuesday night. The girls won by three, 34-31, while the boys dropped a heartbreaker in double-overtime, 56-54.

GIRLS ? The Warriors kept pace with the visiting Teutons Tuesday, despite facing some height on the Inman squad and playing without starter Kelli Hess, who coach Kelly Robson said missed the game because of illness. Although Marion endured a five-point deficit midway through the opening quarter, the Warriors narrowed the Inman lead to 10-7 at the end of the opening quarter when Megan Richmond made a basket. The basket ignited an 8-0 Marion surge that put the Warriors in front 13-10 on a Kaelyn Thierolf basket with 1:33 left before halftime. The Warriors held the Teutons to three points in the quarter, and took a 15-13 lead into the locker room after Kirsten Hansen drained a basket at the buzzer.

Katey Ehrlich opened scoring in the second half with a basket at 6:57, but Marion did not score again until the 2:30 mark. Inman took advantage of Marion missed shots to surge 7-0 to regain a 20-17 lead with three minutes left in the third period. But three back-to-back Warrior scores courtesy of Corey Shields and Hansen gave Marion a 23-20 lead, only to have the Teutons even the score with a three-point basket with 48 seconds left in the third. Richmond answered with a basket behind the arc 18 seconds later for a 26-23 Marion lead going into the final quarter. Although the Teutons drew within one point of Marion on a few occasions, Marion led the duration of the final quarter and enjoyed a three-point lead when time expired.

Richmond led the Warrior attack with nine points.

BOYS ? Holding a 14-point lead late in the third quarter, Marion had opportunity to put Tuesday?s game away. But Inman launched one last rally, and two costly Warrior turnovers at the end of regulation allowed the visiting Teutons to tie the game, and Marion couldn?t get the job done in double overtime.

The game began with the Warriors in front, and the teams ended the quarter with a back-and-forth battle, with Inman coming out on top 11-10. Zach Robson opened the second quarter with five straight points, and a Jacob Harper score off a Wiley Lundy steal gave Marion a 17-12 advantage at 5:40. Neither team hit a shot the next four minutes of play, and Timothy Knolla ended the scoring drought with a three-point basket. Inman narrowed the Marion lead to 20-15 at the half.

The Warriors lit the fuse in the third quarter, building a double-digit, 32-22, lead when Jordan Hett scored off a steal at the 2:48 mark. Hett and Harper scored back to baskets for Marion?s largest lead of the night, 36-22, with 50 seconds left in the period. But Inman scored with two seconds left in the third, which was the start of a 6-0 surge that lasted into the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.

Although Inman narrowed the gap, Marion had opportunity to put the game away in the final minutes of regulation. The Warriors held a 43-36 lead with 1:52 left in the game. Inman scored eight seconds later to draw within 43-38. A poor Marion pass on the next possession put the ball in the hands of the Inman defender, and after a foul, the Teutons drew within 43-40 at the charity stripe with 1:16 left to play. Marion again had chance to score, but another poor pass led to a turnover, and Marion fouled on the ensuing Inman basket. The traditional three-point play tied the game at 43 with 55 seconds left to play. Hett drew a foul with just under 10 seconds left, but the free-throw didn?t fall, sending the game into overtime.

Inman scored first, but Marion rallied with four unanswered points to take a 47-45 lead with 55 seconds left. Both teams had opportunity to score from the free-throw line, but all shots missed their mark. Inman evened the score at 47 with 15 seconds left on the clock, and a Harper shot at the buzzer did not fall to send the game into a second overtime period. Lundy put up a second chance basket for a 49-47 Marion lead at 2:39, but the Teutons answered with a basket behind the arc for a narrow, 50-49, lead with 1:28 left to play. Hett made two from the free-throw line, but another three-pointer gave Inman a 53-51 lead with 33 seconds left. Hett drained a three 10 seconds later to put Marion on top, 54-53. But Inman scored with 10 seconds left for a 55-54 advantage. Hett?s next shot did not fall, and Marion was forced to foul with two seconds left. Inman made one of two from the charity stripe, and a Hett shot at the buzzer missed its mark, giving Inman the two-point victory.

Hett led the Warrior attack with 25 points. Harper added 11.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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