The Gazette-Enterprise

SAN ANTONIO — In games like these, little things like free throws and turnovers can make or break a team.

Those things did the latter for the Navarro basketball team on Wednesday as 36 missed free throws eventually cost the Lady Panthers in a 41-30 loss to Marion at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

“Missed free throws and turnovers — those killed us,” said Navarro coach Darrell Harborth. “We make half of those free throws, and we probably win the game. Those two things have hurt us all season.”

Navarro (1-5) made just 11 free throws out of 47 attempts. Marion (3-2), on the other hand, hit 15 of its 25 shots from the charity stripe.

Both teams struggled in shooting from the field as each combined to make just 20 field goals — 11 for Marion and nine for Navarro.

“I think the depth perception of the arena may have thrown girls from both teams off,” said Marion coach Kollyn McWhinney. “We did a good job defensively, and forced some turnovers off of the press, but we sent Navarro to the free throw line too many times.”

Both teams seemed to have cold feet in the first quarter as neither team could establish momentum, let alone hit shots consistently. The Bulldogs held a slight 10-9 edge after the first eight minutes of play as Hailey Bolner and Pamesia Moore each scored 4 points in the period. The Lady Panthers received scoring from five different players in the period with Cynthia Ramon leading the way with a 3-pointer.

Navarro opened the second quarter on a 4-1 run to take a 13-11 lead behind baskets from Haley Helweg and Shelby Zamzow.

However, the run only seemed to anger Marion as the Bulldogs closed out the first half with 10 unanswered points to seize a 21-13 halftime lead.

Reyna Noriega scored all six of her points during the Marion scoring spree.

The Bulldogs turned their 10-0 run into a 14-0 spurt as Mackenzie Langemeier scored the first four points of the third quarter on layups to increase Marion’s lead to 12, 25-13.

But Navarro started to chip away at the lead as the Lady Panthers used an 11-6 run towards the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth to pull within seven, 31-24. During this run, Zamzow and Helweg each scored three points.

But, Langemeier scored 5 points down the stretch to help hold off the Lady Panthers.

Langemeier led all scorers with 13 points. She was the only scorer who reached double figures.

Langemeier also had a game-high four assists.

Navarro was led by Sydawnie Douglass’ 7 points and 6 points and 15 rebounds from Zamzow. Zamzow’s rebounding total was a game-high as well.

“Shelby plays hard, and good things happen for her as a result,” Harborth said.

Navarro did do well on the boards as Helweg also had 10 rebounds and Brittany Parker posted seven.

Marion’s leading rebounder was Noriega with seven.

Moore recorded a game-high five steals and also scored 8 points.

Navarro played without guard Rachele Herzog, who’s still nursing a high ankle sprain, and post Stephanie Moeller, who suffered a concussion.

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