MHS Lady Warriors take tumble against Ellinwood
Fans of the Marion High School Lady Warrior basketball team can be forgiven if they seemed confused Friday as to whether their team was playing Ellinwood or Smoky Valley.
The venue was Ellinwood High School Gymnasium, the opponent the host Lady Eagles, but in many respects the contest seemed eerily reminiscent of the Lady Warriors' earlier home tilt against Smoky Valley.
Unfortunately, so was the outcome, as Marion was handed a 63-39 pasting by the Lady Eagles.
Midway through the first quarter, Marion held a 7-6 advantage.
Then, just as with Smoky Valley, the Lady Warriors wilted against an opponent's full-court press.
The Lady Eagles forced numerous Marion miscues with their pressure that they converted into baskets, as they forged a 15-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Ellinwood kept up the assault in the second quarter, harassing Marion ball-handlers and stumping Lady Warrior shooters, as they allowed just eight Marion points.
The Lady Warriors had difficulty finding the basket from close range, a problem noted by Marion head coach Daryl Enos.
"We did not make chip shots the entire game," Enos said. The Lady Eagles took advantage of a porous Marion defense to add 17 points to their total, for a 32-17 halftime edge.
Erin Carr led Lady Warrior scorers with 14 points, while Kimber Hardey added eight. Morgan Cady and Kayley Heerey each scored six.
Enos was admittedly puzzled about the Lady Warriors' overall ineffectiveness against the press.
"We practice against it every week, five players vs. seven, and the varsity has no dribble," Enos said. "I don't understand why, but it rattled the girls.
