The Marion basketball teams swept Canton-Galva Thursday night. The Warrior girls opened with a 39-33 victory over the Eagles, and the Marion boys followed with a 61-49 win.
GIRLS?Marion never trailed in Thursday?s, 39-33, win over Canton-Galva Thursday night, but also never led by more than seven points the duration of the game.
The Warriors claimed an early 4-0 lead with baskets by Kelli Hess and Kaelyn Thierolf in the first two minutes of play, but Canton-Galva tied it, 4-4, after baskets by Keana Haydon and Cassidy Enns.
Marion took a four-point lead, but a three-pointer by Erika Smith brought the Eagles within 8-7 with 2:19 left in the opening period.
Bailey Robson scored consecutive baskets to close the quarter with Marion in front, 12-7.
Turnovers plagued both teams in the second quarter, and Marion took a 17-11 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Canton-Galva used a 4-0 run to draw within 17-15 after a basket by Jennifer Likes, but a three-point play by Katey Ehrlich bumped Marion?s lead to five, 20-15. The teams traded scores, and the third quarter ended with Marion in front, 27-24.
Canton-Galva drew within one when Enns scored 14 seconds into the final quarter. Enns again narrowed the gap to one, 29-28, with a basket with 7:14 to go.
Marion gained some distance with a 5-0 run and battled from the charity stripe in the final two minutes of play. The Warriors? largest lead of the night, 37-30, came with 51 seconds left when Hess made a free throw, and Marion went on to win by six.
Ehrlich led Marion with 11 points. Enns was Canton-Galva?s leading scorer.
BOYS?The Marion boys saw a 17-point lead dwindle to one point in the second quarter Thursday night, but battled back in the final quarter to win by 12, 61-49.
Marion came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. Zach Robson scored 16 points in the first quarter?including four three-pointers?to boost Marion to a 22-7 lead at the end of the opening period.
The teams traded free throws to start the second quarter, and the Warriors led by 17, 26-9, when James Jones made a basket. But Canton-Galva surged with a 17-1 run over the next 4:26?thanks to four three-pointers courtesy of Travis Unruh, Connor Farnham, A.J. Medley and Cody Savage?to draw within one, 27-26, with 2:39 left before halftime.
Marion managed to stay in front, and Taylor Heidebrecht drained a three-pointer with 6.5 seconds left to boost the Warriors to a 35-29 halftime advantage.
The Eagles chipped away at Marion?s lead, and Nick Bray hit a three-pointer that tied the game, 36-36. Bray later made a basket that gave Canton-Galva the lead, 40-39, with 2:41 left in the third quarter. The teams traded baskets, and the third quarter ended with Marion in front, 43-42.
Marion surged to a 55-42 lead with a 12-0 run capped by a three-pointer by Robson with 3:36 left in the game. Marion?s lead remained in double digits the rest of the way, and the Warriors claimed the 12-point victory.
Robson led with a game-high 26 points. Heidebrecht added 13. Cody Savage led Canton-Galva with 13 points. Travis Unruh added 12 and Bray, 10.
