Warrior girls fall to Celtics
By ERIC CLARK
Sports editor
Going into Friday's sub-state match-up with Hutchinson Trinity, the Marion girls' basketball team had good reason to believe that they could walk away from the game with their first trip to championship play in years. After clubbing Wichita Trinity by more than 20 points and scoring 76 points in their opening round game, Marion had their well-oiled machine running on all cylinders. But in the third quarter of Friday's game, that well-oiled machine lost its wheels and couldn't repair itself quickly enough to steam back into the game as Marion fell to the Celtics, 46-40.
In the opening frame, the Warriors and Celtics looked as if they were attending a swap meet, trading baskets for the first few minutes of the contest. At the end of the first quarter, it was Marion who gained valuable momentum and led convincingly, 14-10.
But in the second quarter of the contest, the Celtics jumped on opportunity after opportunity, taking advantage of costly Marion turnovers in the open court. At intermission Marion led 23-20, despite giving up 10 points in the second quarter and only scoring nine.
In spite of leading at halftime, the Warriors were held to just five points in the third quarter by a stiff Trinity defense. Meanwhile, the Celtics scored 17 in the same quarter.
The Warriors battled back heroically in the final quarter. But time ultimately became Trinity's ally, as the Warriors attempted to claw their way back into the game. In the end, Marion's late-game rally was thwarted by the Celts and Hutchinson advanced to the championship game.
Marion shot 38 percent from the field against the Celtics and was 0-for-6 from beyond the arc. From the charity stripe, the Warriors shot just above 57 percent for the game.
Brandi Peterie-Shipman, Caitlin O'Dell, Amy Tajchman, and Sarah Williams each had eight points in the game for the Warriors. Peterie-Shipman also added six rebounds, two steals, and one assist. Williams pulled down four boards in the losing cause.
Seniors Peterie-Shipman, O'Dell, Tajchman, Courtney Geis, and Emmy Bowers concluded their final basketball games for the Warriors.
The girls finished 15-7 overall and 10-2 for a second-place finish in the Cottonwood Valley League.
Wichita Trinity
In their first action in sub-state, the Marion girls' basketball team weathered a rocky start in the opening minutes of the game to cruise to a 26-point win over Wichita Trinity Academy.
Early on, the Warriors found themselves scratching and clawing against the Knights, whom they had beaten two other times this season. But Marion held off the early advance by Wichita Trinity and took a 16-12 lead into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, Marion's patented full-court press defense helped limit the Knights to just five points, while the Warrior ladies rolled up 21 points. At half time, Marion led 37-17.
After the break, Marion strung together 39 points in the concluding two quarters, while fending off the Knights, allowing just 33 points in the waning moments of the game.
Marion shot 47 percent from the field and 40 percent from the 3-point line for the game.
Allie Maddox led the Warrior offense with 13 points on a 2-for-7 night shooting from the field and a 1-for-4 night shooting from the three-point line. The sophomore added two rebounds and one steal in the victory. Senior Courtney Geis added 12 points and three boards in the win, while Brandi Peterie-Shipman finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Amy Tajchman, Emmy Bowers, and Sarah Williams each had eight points. Bowers also added eight rebounds. Toni Gordon and Leann Thomas had seven and six points respectively.
