Staff writer
The Marion High School girls basketball team lost to Hesston 60-55 in overtime on Tuesday at Marion.
The Warriors were leading 43-41 with just over a minute left in regulation. Hesston tied the score on a post-up basket by Sam Short. Marion failed to get off a shot and the game went into overtime. The teams traded baskets early in the overtime and the score was tied at 47 when the Swathers grasped momentum and didn’t let it go for the remainder of the game.
Senior Swather guard Rachel Hageman hit a three to give Hesston a 3-point advantage.
“That’s a shot she’s hit before,” Hesston head coach Matt Richardson said of Hageman. “You just put the game in (the players’) hands.”
On the next play, Hesston stole the Marion inbound pass and a well-positioned Swather hit a lay up to put Hesston up 52-47. The Swathers would not trail for the rest of the game and win 60-55.
Hesston was able to put together a comeback victory — Marion was up 27-16 early in the third quarter — by playing efficient defense that neutralized the height of Whitney Gordon and Julia Zeiner, limiting turnovers in transition, and hitting outside shots down the stretch.
Lindsay Hett had a monster game in a loss. She scored 25 points — 19 in the second half and overtime — and grabbed 15 rebounds. Hett crashed the offensive boards with reckless abandon. Seven of Hett’s rebounds were offensive; seven of Marion’s 11 offensive rebounds belonged to Hett.
The Warriors ended the game with more rebounds — 41 to 34 — and a better field goal percentage — 39 to 29 percent. Hesston bested Marion beyond the arc — 33 percent to 20 percent — and created 12 more turnovers.