Two losses leave MHS at 6-6
Sports editor
After a first-round victory Jan. 19 in the Trojan Classic, the Marion High School girls’ basketball team fell to Thomas More Prep and Hillsboro to take fourth place at the tournament.
A 74-54 semifinal loss Thursday to TMP, set up a date with 6-6 Hillsboro for the third-place game.
The Trojans jumped ahead 11-0 and the Warriors could never take the lead, finally falling at the hands of the Trojans, 50-45.
The non-league games keep MHS’ league record at 3-1 and move them to .500 overall at 6-6.
After trailing 14-4 at the end of the first quarter, MHS outscored HHS 12-9 in the second and third quarters to cut the lead to 32-28 heading into the final frame.
However, Dakota Kaufman kept the Trojans ahead with game-highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Every time Marion started to make a run, the Trojans answered back — usually either with Kaufman or Allie Faul who scored 14 points.
With two minutes, 12 seconds in the game remaining, it seemed HHS had the game in-hand with a 42-30 lead.
However, with steals and poor HHS free-throw shooting, the Warriors climbed back in to cut the lead to 45-42 with 45 seconds left.
After a Lindsay Hett missed three-pointer, Hillsboro rebounded and Marion fouled right away.
Trailing by five with 25 seconds to go, Kayley Heerey was wide left on a three-point attempt, and the Trojans rebounded once again.
HHS eventually ran out the clock and claimed third place.
Hett had the hot-hand for Marion with a season-high 17 points to go along with four rebounds and three steals.
Julia Zeiner was in double figures for the 11th time in 12 games this season with 11 points.
Junior Bridget Lundy connected on her only two three-point attempts of the day for six points and a game-high four steals.
Coupled with the TMP loss, the Warriors are now at .500 with eight games to play on the season.
A Friday match-up at home against Council Grove is the only non-league game the rest of the way for Marion.
The Warriors have home match-ups remaining against Collegiate, Sterling, Hesston, and Smoky Valley, and will travel to Halstead, Nickerson, and Hillsboro.
TMP 74, Marion 54
The semifinal match-up Thursday could almost be narrowed down to one category — rebounding.
The Monarchs hit the glass with 36 rebounds to the Warriors’ 21, including 16 offensive rebounds to one.
In a 20-point victory, TMP had 19 second-chance points off offensive rebounds compared to zero for Marion.
Zeiner had 17 points and six rebounds, while Heerey had 13 points and six rebounds, but only Whitney Gordon collected an offensive rebound for the Warriors.
Leading 16-11 after the first quarter, TMP did most of its damage in the second quarter, out-scoring MHS, 24-8.
The second half belonged to Marion, 35-34, but not enough to erase a 40-19 halftime deficit.
The Monarchs would go on to defeat Hesston for the tournament championship and improve to 12-0 on the season.