Staff writer
The Marion High School girls basketball team is in the midst of a 10-2 season because of its effort at the defensive end of the floor.
Since the new year, the Warriors have relied on their man-to-man defense to get them back into games. Marion defeated Hesston in the third-place game of the Hillsboro Trojan tournament by holding the Swathers to six points in the third quarter.
In the same tournament, the Warriors locked up Thomas More Prep in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
Against Haven on Jan. 12, Marion was down 26-16 at halftime. The Warriors ratcheted up their defense and allowed the Wildcats to score only six points in the third quarter.
“They just came to understand that they needed to play good man-to-man defense,” Marion Head Coach Randy Savage said. “Undoubtedly, we have to play mostly man against good teams.”
Savage said that man-to-man defense was his main priority at the beginning of the season. He tried to get the team to play more man last season, but the Warriors could not adapt to playing help defense.
“It’s like the difference between driving an automatic and a manual transmission,” Savage said. “It’s more sophisticated. It requires a lot more communication.”
As the 2009-10 season progresses, the Warriors let more of their natural inclination to play zone defense slip away. Against Hoisington, Marion stuck with man-to-man defense for nearly the entire game and won decidedly, 62-46.
The chatter between Warrior defenders has also increased.
“You can hear people yelling: ‘I’ve got ball,’ or ‘I’ve got help,’” Savage said.
The Warriors combination of height and athleticism at every position can make their defense seem impenetrable.
“We have the 4x100, 2008 state championship track team out there,” Savage said of the team’s overall speed.
For example, Lindsay Hett is 5-foot-9, but is as quick as guards 5 inches shorter. Hett has been able to use her speed, reach, and jumping ability as Marion’s leading pickpocket.
Hett recorded 11 steals against Hoisington and has had at least three steals in every game in 2010. Hett steals come in a variety of packages: sometimes she picks off passes aimed to sail over her head, other times she just takes the ball from a careless guard.
“She gets more (steals) on individual effort just because of the position she plays,” Savage said.
Warrior forwards Julia Zeiner and Whitney Gordon have also benefited from the ball pressure applied by Marion guards. Both forwards — who are sometimes the two tallest players on the floor — create havoc in post passing lanes with their reach and quickness.
Steals created by Hett, Zeiner, and Gordon often lead to fast break opportunities. The Warriors’ athleticism shines in transition where Zeiner runs the floor with gusto, converting hustle into layups.
“The more man we play,” Savage said, “the better off we are.”