St. John?The Tigers, ranked second in Class 2A by the Wichita Eagle, was a juggernaut Friday, shooting nearly 53 percent from the field and out-rebounding the Warriors at both ends of the floor.
Marion took a 2-0 lead on the first shot of the game, as Chase Carlson drove along the baseline and threw in a tough-angle floater in the early seconds.
The lead was short lived, as St. John came back with a 3-pointer?the Tigers made 5 of 11 3-point attempts in the game?and added a layup by Josh Hildebrand for a 5-2 advantage.
Calvin Jeffrey put back a Justin Heidebrecht miss on Marion?s next trip, but St. John went back to Hildebrand for a 7-4 lead.
Marion continued to score on tough shots but, with Hildebrand making it look easy at the other end, the Tigers continued to score at will in the paint and took a 35-28 lead into halftime.
The third quarter proved decisive, as the tough shots stopped falling for Marion. St. John, meanwhile, continued its pace and came away with a 12-point lead after a 17-12 surge in the frame.
Jeffrey finished with 17 points and Carlson 8. Hildebrand scored 29, Nathan Miller added 19 and Travis Neidig scored 15 for St. John.
Inman?The Warriors trailed 27-22 at halftime, but were unable to overcome a 22-15 run by the Teutons in the third quarter Thursday.
Marion outpaced the hosts 13-10 in the fourth, but Inman?s big three of Jesse Neufeld, Will Tonn and Kevin Yoder had already scored too often. Neufeld and Tonn each scored 18 points, and Yoder 15. Tonn added 10 rebounds for a double-double.
Three Warriors reached double figures, but a low shooting percentage dampened Marion?s offensive output. As a team, the Warriors made 19 of 58 field goals and went a combined 4-for-25 from 3-point range.
Justin Heidebrecht scored a team-high 13 points, followed by Calvin Jeffrey with 12 and Elliott Hett with 10.
Garden Plain?Five Owls posted double-digit points and their well-balanced attack mitigated a 26-point eruption by Calvin Jeffrey.
After matching Garden Plain shot for shot in an 18-18 first quarter, the Warriors proved unable to keep up with the Owls.
The Owls carried a 40-34 lead into halftime and ran their advantage to 70-50 at the end of three quarters. The 20-point deficit was too much to overcome, and foul trouble further hampered the Warriors in the fourth.
Three Warriors fouled out before it was over, but Marion more-or-less matched Garden Plain in the frame. With Chase Carlson, Luke Gordon and Mitchell Leppke each sidelined with five fouls, Marion scored 27 points but allowed 29.
The Warriors shot 43 percent from the floor but had trouble gaining and maintaining possession. When the Warriors were able to get shots?they put up 35 fewer than the Owls?they made them count. Justin Heidebrecht totaled 17 points, Vogel 12 and Gordon 10.
Coming?Marion (1-3) was scheduled to face Lyons (3-1) Tuesday in Marion. The Warriors play Smoky Valley (2-1) Friday in Lindsborg.
