Victory was sweet for Marion on homecoming night as the Warriors swept visiting Ell-Saline Friday.
Girls?Marion defeated Ell-Saline, 55-40.
The Cardinals scored the game?s first basket, but Marion responded with six unanswered points to take the lead. Ell-Saline came back to tie it, but a basket by Bailey Robson gave Marion an 8-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Warriors increased their lead to 16-10 before Ell-Saline used a 6-0 run to even the count. The Cardinals led, 22-20, at halftime.
Marion swung the balance with a massive third-quarter effort. The Warriors were 9-for-14 from the field in the period and forced nine Ell-Saline turnovers. The Cardinals put up only five shots in the quarter and missed their first four, allowing Marion to take a 36-22 lead. Kourtney Hansen led the charge with eight points during that stretch.
Ell-Saline scored its first and only basket of the period with 14 seconds left, then Kirsten Hansen drained a buzzer-beating trey to give Marion a comfortable, 39-24, lead at the final break.
Marshelle Conley scored to put Marion up by 17, then Ell-Saline trimmed the margin to 11, and later, to eight, 45-37, with 2:06 to play. Erika Hess scored eight of Marion?s last 10 points, including 6-for-6 free-throws, bringing the final margin to 15.
Kourtney Hansen led all scorers with 20 points. Hess added 10.
Boys?Marion defeated Ell-Saline, 49-38.
The Cardinals took a 4-0 lead before Marion claimed it, 7-4. The first quarter ended with Marion clinging to a 9-8 advantage.
Dylan Pippin scored on a traditional three-point play less than one minute into the second quarter, but Marion did not score another field goal until 30 seconds remained in the period. Ell-Saline, meanwhile, took a 17-12 lead. The Warriors made four of the next eight free-throws they attempted to trim the deficit to 17-16. Evann Heidebrecht broke the drought with a basket to again bring Marion within one, 19-18, but Ell-Saline burst to the finish for a 22-18 halftime advantage.
Marion began chipping away at the Cardinals? lead, drawing within one when Pippin scored on another three-point play, but Ell-Saline stretched its lead back to five, 30-25. Again, Marion closed the gap to one, and the third quarter ended with Ell-Saline clinging to a 32-31 lead.
The Cardinals once again stretched their lead to five, 36-31. Then Jack Schneider and Mason Pedersen fired off back-to-back three-pointers to give Marion the lead for good. That was the start of a 12-0 Warrior run for a 43-36 advantage with 1:26 to play. The Warriors made six of their final eight free-throws attempted to seal the 11-point win.
Pippin led all scorers with 14 points. Pedersen added 11.
Coming?Marion will play at Sedgwick Tuesday.
For scores and updates during games, follow Janae on Twitter @janaerem13
