By JOEL WRIGHT

Staff writer

After a shaky start Friday, the Marion High School girls’ basketball team rebounded, threatening to tie the game multiple times before losing 42-28 to Southeast of Saline.

“Early we started a little rough,” coach Kelly Robson said. “Last year we had turnover issues, and we set a goal to limit them this year. We got close to it at halftime.”

The Trojans began the game on a 9-0 run before Marion’s Kelli Hess made a three-point shot with more than a minute left in the first quarter. Southeast of Saline made a layup and baseline jump shot to finish the quarter leading 13-3.

Down 16-3 in the second quarter, Julia Hall scored Marion’s second shot of the night, making a short-corner jump shot.

From that point, the Lady Warriors outscored the Trojans 7-3, going into the half down 19-12. Kirsten Hansen helped facilitate the run, causing two steals and converting a layup on one of them.

Robson said he liked how the girls played from the second quarter on.

“Execution-wise I was pretty pleased offensively, except for turnovers,” Robson said.

The Warriors scored first in the second half on a three by Hess, bringing them within four at 19-15.

The Trojans responded, pushing the lead back to nine with five straight points. Down 27-17 later, Megan Richmond followed Katey Ehrlich’s 2-point field goal with a three that closed the gap back to five.

A short Trojan jumper in the waning seconds evened the deficit back to seven, where it was at the beginning of the quarter.

Marion made its second attempt at a comeback early in the fourth quarter, after a Southeast free throw made the score 30-22.

Hansen found Ehrlich cutting on the backside for a three-point play, then Hess scored from inside the paint to bring the Warriors within three, 30-27.

The girls would get no closer though, as Southeast mounted a 12-1 run, ultimately winning 42-28.

Hess led the Warriors in scoring with 11. Ehrlich followed with seven, and Megan Richmond scored five. Hall and Hansen both had two, while Bailey Robson scored one.

“They have much more confidence this year than last year,” Robson said. “They’ll take losses hard.”