Moundridge outscored Marion 17-7 at the foul line and came away with a 55-46 victory Friday night. Hesston scored 20 points in both the second and fourth quarters to beat the Warriors 52-36.
Moundridge?After a typically slow and methodical start, Wil Case and Eric Vogel carried the scoring load for the Warriors, who turned a 9-5 first quarter deficit into a 24-18 halftime lead.
Case hit three 3-pointers and totaled 17 points in the game, but the Wildcats, led by Trey Unrau (29 points) and Austin Neufeld (17 points) were simply too much for Marion’s defense. Vogel fouled out with 1:47 to go.
But while Vogel was in the game, Marion more than hung in against the Wildcats. Although outscored in the third quarter, Marion carried a 3-point advantage into the fourth.
Moundridge took a 40-39 lead early in the frame, and Neufeld cemented it with a spectacular play: swarmed by three Warriors underneath the Wildcats goal, he somehow ripped away the offensive rebound and scored over the crowd of defenders, drawing a foul in the process and converting the 3-point play.
It was a backbreaker at the end of a 10-2 run, and put the Wildcats ahead by five. Marion missed a handful of shots down the stretch, but the Wildcats maximized their possessions as part of an 11-for-16 shooting effort in the second half.
They made three of five 3-pointers after intermission, having connected on just one of eight in the first half.?
Vogel totaled 18 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
Hesston?After falling behind 26-16 at halftime, the Warriors fought their way back into contention during the third quarter. But after closing the gap to 32-29 starting the fourth, Marion ran out of gas.
The Warriors managed just seven points in the fourth quarter and they hit none of their seven second-half 3-point attempts.
Isaac Hett totaled 11 points, while Eric Vogel had 11 rebounds and four steals.
Coming?Marion (2-3) will host Ellinwood Jan. 5, then will visit Lyons Jan. 8 and travel to Haven Jan. 12.
