MHS girls drop rival game to Hillsboro
Sports reporter
For the Marion High School girls' basketball team it always seems to come down to one quarter.
Friday night it was the third one, as Hillsboro outscored Marion 17-4 en route to a 53-35 victory.
"For a team that has as many threats as we should have on offense, we're just not getting as much production as we should," Marion coach Daryl Enos said.
It looked as if Marion would hang around early when senior Leann Thomas turned an offensive rebound into a layup at the end of the first quarter, cutting the Trojans' lead to 11-6.
After two straight Hillsboro baskets to open the second quarter, Marion quickly answered back. Senior Molly Rhodes nailed a three, and senior Sarah Williams hit a layup, as the Warriors only trailed 15-11.
Marion added one more basket in the quarter, a three by junior Megan Hudson, and trailed 20-14 at the break.
The Warriors shot just 28 percent from the field in the first half, but stayed in the game thanks to Hillsboro shooting 29 percent, including 1-13 from three-point range.
Then came the third quarter.
Just like the Warriors boys' team Friday night, the girls failed to take care of the basketball, and fell apart in the second half.
"We just kind of threw up our hands and sat back and watched the show," Enos said of the third quarter effort.
Marion managed just two baskets in the third quarter, and found themselves down by 19 heading into the final frame.
Something must have woke up Marion as they began the quarter with a 12-4 run.
Thomas hit a three-pointer, completed a three-point play, and three other Warriors scored to cutn Hillsboro's Hannah Marsh took the air out of Marion's sails with one of her four three-pointers to shoot the lead back to 14.
Marsh would finish with 24 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.
"I'd like to think that was one of the best shooting performances she's ever had," Enos said.
Her three quieted the home crowd and stopped the Marion run, as the Trojans coasted to the 18-point victory.
Thomas finished with eight points and four rebounds, and junior Toni Gordon had eight points and seven rebounds for Marion.
As a team Marion shot just 29.5 percent and turned the ball over 24 times.
The loss dropped the Warriors to 0-4 in the Mid-Central Activities Association, and 5-8 overall.
Marion played Tuesday at Smoky Valley and will play Nickerson Friday in the winter homecoming game. Something Enos hopes should have the team excited.
"I think they're tired of losing," he said.
JV wins
MHS junior varsity girls' team downed Hillsboro Friday night 45-41. The victory gives the Warriors an 8-2 record.
