Tournament proves inhospitable to Lady Warriors
Entering last week's Hillsboro Trojan Classic as the seventh seed in the eight-team field, the Marion Lady Warrior varsity hoops squad squared off against tough competition, and returned home winless in three tries.
The Lady Warriors' best effort came in a match-up against Sunrise Academy, following an opening round loss to powerhouse Hesston.
Playing their best basketball since opening the season with two victories, the Lady Warriors came out with intensity against the Lady Buffaloes.
After falling behind early, 9-2, putbacks by Erin Carr and Kayley Heerey cut the gap to 9-6. Carr's three-pointer with 33 seconds remaining in the quarter helped Marion keep close, 12-9.
The Lady Warriors captured the lead, 16-15, when Carr drove the length of the court and scored from the right baseline, at the 4:30 mark. Sunrise Academy regained a three-point edge, but a rainbow trey from the right corner by Kalaya Jackson with nine seconds left tied the score at halftime, 22-22.
The third quarter was hotly contested, with three ties and four lead changes. Carr and Heerey scored three-point shots as the Lady Warriors entered the final period trailing 35-33.
Fouls and free throws were Marion's undoing in the fourth quarter. Sunrise Academy exploited the Lady Warrior defense by pounding the ball down low, forcing Marion to foul to avoid giving up easy buckets.
The Lady Buffaloes took full advantage of their opportunities, hitting more than 80 percent of their charity tosses, as they racked up 14 points from the free-throw line. Sunrise Academy gradually and methodically pulled away from the Lady Warriors, winning 59-44.
Breezie Sims of Sunrise Academy topped the scoring charts with 16 points. Marion got 15 from Carr and 11 from Heerey.
Hesston 78, Marion 32
Marion's first-round game against second-seeded Hesston was a mismatch from the outset, as the taller, more athletic Lady Swathers ran and scored inside at will against the Lady Warriors.
Hesston's onslaught was swift and devastating, as the Lady Swathers raced to a 45-21 halftime advantage.
While Grace Easter and Julia Carlton shouldered the bulk of the scoring load, Lady Swather defenders completely smothered Marion shooters in the second half, allowing just 11 Lady Warrior points.
The Lady Warriors hit only 21 percent of their shots in the second half, and just 30 percent for the game. Hesston shot 65 percent for the contest.
No Lady Warriors scored in double figures. Julia Zeiner led Marion with seven points.
Wamego 60, Marion 33
Marion faced Class 4A Wamego Saturday in the seventh-place consolation game, and it was the Lady Warriors who needed consolation after the Lady Red Raiders rolled to an easy 60-33 win.
Once again, Marion allowed a team to get out of the blocks quickly, as Wamego bolted to a 17-6 lead. Marion went without a basket for more than four minutes, followed by a two-minute drought, as the Lady Red Raiders built at 27-9 lead.
Kristen Steinborn got Marion back on track with consecutive buckets late in the second quarter, and Heerey added a three-pointer to keep the halftime deficit at 19, 35-16.
Wamego found the going a bit tougher in the third quarter, as Marion held the Lady Red Raiders to eight points. However, Marion managed only six points of its own, and Wamego used a 17-11 fourth quarter advantage to finish out the victory.
Zeiner once again led Marion scorers with eight, followed by Carr with seven.
Marion traveled to Hoisington for a makeup game Tuesday, Results of the game were not known at press time.
Marion will host highly-ranked Hillsboro Friday at Marion High School Gymnasium.
