Warriors defeat Lyons, Nickerson
For the third game in a row, the Marion High School boys' varsity basketball team needed a third-quarter rally to chalk up another win.
This time the foe was the visiting Lyons Lions, whose strong first-half showing left the anemic-shooting Warriors staring bleakly at a 24-12 halftime deficit.
Marion couldn't buy baskets in the first half, connecting on only four of 23 shots, a paltry 17 percent from the field.
Lyons used crisp ball movement, accurate shooting, and strong offensive rebounding to build a 19-8 first quarter lead.
The Lions fell on hard luck offensively in the second quarter as well, scoring only five points, as the Warriors remained in striking distance.
Marion fans might have been heartened recalling their team's comeback the week before against Hillsboro, but no one in Marion High School Gymnasium was prepared for what the Warriors would do in the third quarter Friday — least of all, the unsuspecting Lions.
When Travis Hett stripped Lion guard Brennan Clark and drove for Marion's first basket of the second half, he ignited seven minutes of Warrior fury that left the Lions reeling.
Consecutive baskets by Emmanuel Jackson, including a deep trey from the right baseline, cut the Lions' lead to six, 21-27.
Next, it was Warrior Justin Heidebrecht's turn to pick Clark's pocket. Heidebrecht then capitalized on a monstrous Hett offensive rebound by nailing a three that cut the gap to 27-24.
Hett capped the Warrior comeback with a trey at the 3:39 mark, 27-27, but Marion was just warming up.
Intense defensive pressure continued to spark the Warriors, as they allowed just one Lyons bucket in the final six minutes of the quarter.
Marion took the lead when Calvin Jeffrey took a long outlet pass and flipped the ball to a driving Jackson, who scored the layup and was fouled. Jackson's free throw made the score 30-27.
A Jeffrey layup which made the score 38-27 knocked the lid off of the Lions' frustrations, as Lyons picked up two technical fouls, one on a player and the other on the Lions' bench.
Jeffrey drained three free throws, then added two more after being fouled with two seconds left in the quarter. Jeffrey's charities finished off a stunning 31-5 third-quarter thrashing of the Lions.
Marion scored more points in the third than in the other three quarters combined.
Lyons never recovered, as the Warriors breezed to a 61-45 win.
Travis Hett led a balanced Warrior scoring attack with 16, followed by Jackson, 14, Jeffrey, 13, and Jason Hett, 11.
Travis Hett and Jason Hett combined for 16 of the Warriors' 27 rebounds, while Jeffrey led the team in assists with six.
Marion's aggressive second half resulted in a huge Warrior edge at the free-throw line. Marion's hottest outing of the season at the charity stripe netted 19 points, while Lyons scored just one. The Warriors hit a remarkable 86 percent of their free throws.
Marion 55, Nickerson 36
The Warriors faced off against the Nickerson Panthers Jan. 30 in Nickerson, and returned home on the winning end of a 55-36 score.
Marion trailed 21-20 at halftime, but again owned the third quarter, outscoring the Panthers 18-4 to take a 39-24 lead into the final stanza.
The Warriors kept up the offensive pace in the fourth, never allowing Nickerson to gain any ground.
Jason Hett was Marion's triple threat against the Panthers, leading the team in scoring, 17, rebounding, 11, and assists, six. Travis Hett scored 16 for the Warriors.
