The Marion boys? basketball team let Saturday?s third-place game slip through their fingers in a 52-39 loss to Remington in the Marion Classic.
McMillin said Marion?s strategy was threefold in a game he viewed as winnable.
?We wanted to deny (Bryce Kahle) the ball, and we did a real good job of that,? he said. ?We got him in foul trouble, and he ended up not scoring at all. The other thing we wanted to do was prevent (Chance Bowen) from penetrating. We somewhat did that. He was on the bench a lot, too. The third thing we wanted to do was limit the mid-range game from (Garet Johnson) and we didn?t do that at all.?
Johnson, the game?s high scorer with 24 points and 10 rebounds, got things rolling for the Broncos with back-to-back baskets. He hit a three at the 2:57 mark, and with a second Remington three, the Broncos led, 10-3.
Meanwhile, Marion?s first four points came from the charity stripe. Bret Voth made the Warriors? first basket with 14 seconds left to end the first quarter with a 12-6 Bronco lead.
The teams traded threes to open the second quarter, but by the time Johnson reached 14 points on the night with a three-point play, Remington led, 20-10.
Marion rallied from there, as Dylan Pippin, Jacob Baldwin and Peyton Heidebrecht each made two free throws. The Warriors ended the half with a 5-0 run to close the gap to 23-21 at the break.
The Warrior run continued after halftime. Baldwin tied the game 10 seconds in, then Voth gave Marion its only lead, 25-23, less than a minute later. After a 27-27 tie, the Broncos jumped back in front, 35-29, by the end of the third quarter.
?The times in the game when we played well, we were getting the ball inside,? McMillin said. ?When we?d go away from it, things wouldn?t come easy for us.?
Marion turned the ball over on its first three possessions of the fourth quarter, and Remington built a 44-31 advantage with 5:09 to play. That deficit proved insurmountable, and the Broncos went on to win by 13.
McMillin praised his team?s efforts to attack inside. Marion went to the free-throw line 24 times, compared to only seven for Remington.
Marion committed 19 turnovers in the game but held a 37-31 advantage in rebounding. The Warriors shot 30 percent from the field (12-40) and were led by Baldwin with 12 points.
?We turned the ball over way too many times,? McMillin said. ?We can?t give ourselves a shot to get into a game or stay in a game if we turn the ball over so many times.?
Berean 60, Marion 37
Game 2, Friday
A deep and talented Berean Academy squad proved too much for Marion in its 23-point loss.
?They put a lot of pressure on you for early in the season,? coach Jeff McMillin said. ?That?s why we want to (get) the ball into the post a lot. It?s hard working the ball around the perimeter with that much pressure on that we saw from them.?
Marion hung with Berean in the game?s opening minutes and trailed 5-4 after Peyton Heidebrecht scored at 5:05. But from there, Marion shots refused to fall, and Berean surged to a 15-4 advantage by the end of the first quarter.
Marion responded by outscoring Berean 15-14 in the second period. Jacob Baldwin chipped in six points, and Bret Voth closed the half with a pair of free throws and a three-pointer that put the halftime score at 29-19 in favor of Berean.
But Berean continued to build its lead, capitalizing off Marion turnovers and missed shots for a 43-23 margin after scoring in transition at 1:16. Dylan Pippin and Heidebrecht closed the half with consecutive baskets to bring the score to 43-27 heading into the final quarter.
Baldwin scored six of Marion?s 10 fourth-quarter points, and the game ended with Berean in front, 60-37.
Marion outrebounded Berean 30-28. Marion shot 31.6 percent from the field (12-38), while Berean shot 49 percent (24-49), including 61.9 percent in the second half (13-21). Baldwin added 10 rebounds to his team-high 14 points for a double-double performance.
MHS 57, Peabody-Burns 55
Game 1, Tuesday
It came down to the wire, but Marion came away with a two-point victory.
?We didn?t hit a great amount of free throws down the stretch, but we rebounded really well,??coach Jeff McMillin said. ?I think that?s pretty key. When the other team?s needing to speed up and get shots, then you don?t give them more than one. We did a good job of getting possession of the ball and going to the free-throw line.?
The teams played fairly evenly in the first quarter. Marion led, 6-2, when Nicholas Stuchlik scored at 4:16, and Peabody-Burns led, 12-9, after Braxton Kyle scored with 39 seconds left. Stuchlik brought Marion within 12-11 by the end of the first period.
PBHS twice led by six, including 23-17 after Colton Terronez scored. But Mason Pedersen and Bret Voth tied the game with back-to-back threes. Zachary Stuchlik ended the half with two free throws for a 25-23 Mario lead.
Marion burst with an 8-0 run after half for a 33-23 lead when Heidebrecht scored a three-point play. Marion led 43-30 late in the third quarter, but PBHS closed to 43-34 heading into the final period.
The teams traded baskets before Brent Buller drained a three and was fouled. He made the free throw, bringing PBHS within 45-40. Kyle hit a three-pointer, and Kornelius Skotaam tied the game at 45 with a pair of free throws with 5:55 to go.
From there, the teams battled neck-and-neck. Marion led 55-53 with 58 seconds left. A PBHS three-point attempt missed its mark, but Marion turned the ball over, allowing Skotaam to tie the game with a breakaway layup with 19 seconds left. Nicholas Stuchlik scored the game-winner with just 6 seconds on the clock. Kyle?s three-point attempt at the buzzer hit the rim but bounced out.
Marion shot 34.5 percent from the field (20-58). Voth led with 17 points. Pedersen added 12, and Heidebrecht and Nicholas Stuchlik each added 10. Nicholas Stuchlik also had 17 rebounds.
PBHS shot 40.8 percent from the field (20-49) and was led by Skotaam with 21 points. Kyle added 17 and Edmonson 11.
Coming?Marion (1-3) will play its final game before the holidays at Haven Friday. The Warriors will host Canton-Galva Jan. 6.
