Marion still girls unbeatened since break

The Marion girls remained undefeated since Christmas break, defeating both of their opponents last week. The Warriors came from behind to beat Haven 57-47 Tuesday, then picked up a homecoming victory Friday over Hoisington, 62-46.

Hoisington?Marion girls rode outstanding performances from seniors Julia Zeiner and Lindsay Hett and sophomore Whitney Gordon en route to Friday?s win over Hoisington.

Zeiner finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals. Hett registered a double-double with 19 points and 11 steals. Gordon contributed 10 points, four assists and three blocked shots.

Marion started slowly, falling behind 6-2 in the opening minutes. The Warriors settled in as the first quarter advanced and tied the score at 8-8 with 2:30 left on a jump shot by Gordon.

The Warriors eventually took a 10-9 lead on a shot by Hett. The first quarter ended with Marion leading, 12-11.

Zeiner set the tone early in the second quarter, scoring the first four points. Marion then forced Cardinal turnovers off its full court press and jumped to a 28-20 lead.

After a five-point Hoisington rally, the Warriors ended the half with five straight points from senior Bridget Lundy. She first scored on a runner in the lane, then drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 33-25 Marion halftime lead.

Following the intermission, the Warriors came out strong with a 14-2 third-quarter run. Marion shot 70 percent from the floor in the second half to ensure the win.

Haven?Sparked by turnovers off its full-court press, Marion started the second half with a 16-4 run against Haven. When Lindsay Hett hit a 3-pointer with less than a minute left in the third quarter for a 35-32 lead, the Warriors didn?t trail again on their way to a 10-point victory.

Haven pulled to within 41-38 with 4:50 left in the fourth quarter on a traditional three-point play by Noell Nordstedt. Marion responded quickly, extending its lead to seven with consecutive baskets by Hett and a layup by Julia Zeiner.

The Wildcats tried fouling to get back into the contest, but Marion sank 11 of 15 free-throws down the stretch to stifle any chance of a Haven comeback. Hett was 8-for-9 from the charity stripe for the game, shooting all but two attempts in the last three minutes.

Two defensive plays by Whitney Gordon on consecutive Wildcat possessions late in the game helped preserve the Warriors? lead.

On the first possession, Gordon grabbed a rebound in traffic after a missed Haven layup. Then she blocked a shot as a Haven player drove for the basket; the play ignited a fast break with Zeiner scoring the layup that gave the Warriors a 51-43 lead with 1:12 left to play.

Hett and Zeiner combined for 45 of the Warriors 57 points. Hett led all scorers with 26 and grabbed eight rebounds. Zeiner finished with 19 points, six boards and five assists. Gordon added a game-high nine rebounds to her seven points.

Tessa Reynolds led the Wildcats in scoring with nine points.

Coming?This week, Marion, 7-1 overall and 3-0 in league play, is competing at the Trojan Classic in Hillsboro. As the third seed, the Warriors were to play Riley County Tuesday. If they won they will play in the semifinals at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. If they lost they will play at 3 p.m. Friday. The tournament concludes Saturday.

Go to hillsborofree?press.com for same-night game reports as well as pairings.

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