Marion earned two wins over Bennington in the Warriors? last home games of the regular season Friday night.
GIRLS?Marion used a big first half to cruise to a 42-25 victory over Bennington.
Katey Ehrlich scored Marion?s first 11 points on her way to a team-high 18 on the night. The Warriors led, 11-2, when Ehrlich scored with 2:23 remaining in the opening quarter, but the Bulldogs closed the gap to 13-8 by the end of the period.
From there, Marion enjoyed a 10-0 run for a double-digit, 23-8, advantage after Megan Richmond scored with 4:12 left in the half. Julia Hall and Bailey Robson closed the half with consecutive baskets for a 29-11 Warrior advantage at the break.
Marion built up to its largest lead of the night, 35-13, after Ehrlich and Kirsten Hansen scored back-to-back baskets. Two Bulldog three-pointers ended the quarter for a 35-19 Warrior lead.
Bennington cut the lead to 35-23 before Kaelyn Thierolf made a basket and Kelli Hess added two free throws for a 39-23 score with 3:46 left in the game. After that, each team managed one more basket. Marion made only one of seven free throw attempts in the last 3:08 for the final, 42-25, margin.
BOYS?It was a battle to the finish Friday night against Bennington. Regulation ended with the teams locked at 46 after Zach Robson tied the game with a deep three-pointer at the buzzer, and Marion held on for the win in overtime, 51-49.
Robson made the game?s first basket, but a Bennington three-pointer left Marion trailing early. The Warriors battled from behind the majority of the first quarter but took a 13-11 lead when Timothy Knolla and Grif Case drained back-to-back three-pointers. Bennington made the tying basket, and Robson made one of two free throws for a 14-13 Marion lead at the first break.
After Bennington tied the game with a free throw, Knolla made another three-pointer at the 6:10 mark. From there, it was Marion who enjoyed the lead. The Warriors extended it to 28-20 with seven unanswered points when Robson was fouled on a three-point attempt and made all three charity shots, and then Robson and Case scored consecutive baskets. A Bennington three-pointer cut Marion?s lead to 28-23 by halftime.
The teams traded threes to open the second half, but the Bulldogs chipped away at the lead and eventually tied the game at 33 with a basket off a Marion turnover with less than a minute left in the third quarter. Bennington pulled ahead, 35-33, by the end of the period.
A basket by James Jones and free throw by Case gave Marion a 36-35 advantage, then the teams traded three-pointers on three straight possessions for a 41-39 Bulldog lead with 4:35 to play. Marion continued to trail, and when Jacob Baldwin scored at 1:32, Bennington led, 44-43. The Warriors missed a few shots, and Bennington extended the lead to 46-43 with 19.4 seconds to go after making the front ends of one-and-ones on two separate trips to the line.
After a Marion timeout with 13.1 seconds left, the Bulldogs committed their fifth and sixth team fouls and took a timeout with 8.3 seconds remaining. Robson then missed a three-point attempt, but the ball went out of bounds and was awarded to Marion. The Warriors took a timeout with 3.8 seconds left, and again at 2.4. Robson shot a deep three at the buzzer, and the ball bounced up off the rim and fell through to send the game into overtime with the teams tied at 46.
Baldwin made a free throw to open overtime, then BJ Glanton cashed in on a three-point play for a 49-47 Bennington lead. Robson made the tying basket, Bennington missed two free throws, then Heidebrecht made both ends of a one-and-one for the final, 51-49, margin. Bennington took a timeout with 9.4 seconds left but missed what would have been the tying jumper. Robson was fouled but missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Glanton?s last-second shot missed the mark.
Robson led Marion with 17 points. Case added 14 and Knolla 13.
COMING?Marion will play at Hutchinson Trinity Tuesday in the regular season finale.