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Marion girls’ comeback falls just short
Published February 3, 2010
MARION — All game long against Sam Houston, the Marion girls basketball team (22-5, 9-2) wore out the net from beyond the arc.
But needing a three to tie the score in the closing seconds of Tuesday night’s District 27-3A showdown with the Lady Hurricanes, the ball simply refused to go through the hoop.
And as a result, Sam Houston (15-14, 10-0) escaped Marion with a 75-70 win, wrapping up the district title in the process.
“Our girls played hard and we shot really well early,” said head coach Kollyn McWhinney. “We just couldn’t hit that one shot we needed. I’m real proud of our effort, but the free throw line absolutely killed us. We didn’t shoot very well and I’m guessing they made more than we attempted.”
True, the Lady Hurricanes — and star player Kiante Ageous — lived at the foul line, connecting on 22 of 32 shots as a team. Marion, on the other hand, finished the game 13-20 after rebounding from a 5-12 performance in the first half.
Those missed opportunities are why McWhinney says she stresses free throw shooting every day in practice.
“I’m a big stickler for free throws,” she said. “I mean we outplayed them on the court, we outplayed them as far as half court offense, half court defense, but the free throw line was the difference in the game.”
The Lady Bulldogs began the game absolutely unconscious from the three-point line, nailing five in the first quarter alone.
Marion went into the second quarter up a bucket at 17-15, but after scoring nine in the first period, senior Reyna Noriega became the focus of the Lady Hurricanes’ defense.
In stepped reserve guard Haley Jupe, who helped Marion stay afloat with eight points in the quarter, as the Lady Bulldogs went into the locker room down 41-39 thanks to a 26-point outburst by Sam Houston.
The Lady Hurricanes later opened the second half with a quick 12-4 run, pushing their advantage up to nine before eventually taking a 57-45 lead — their largest of the contest.
Marion showed its determination by battling back in the game with solid defense and timely baskets, whittling the deficit to seven, then five, then three.
But that was as close as the Lady Bulldogs would come, as an open three with 14 seconds left went begging, with Sam Houston grabbing the ball and icing the contest with two free throws.
Noriega paced Marion with her 21 points in the game, with Kyana Fennell adding 11 points and eight rebounds.
Jupe finished with eight as well, while Ashley Jacobsen contributed seven and Maegan Hartman delivered six.
Hailey Speer recorded five points and five boards in the loss.
Although Marion won’t be celebrating a district crown, the team has already clinched a playoff spot. But before they attend to that, the Lady Bulldogs will wrap up the regular season on Friday, playing at La Vernia at 7:30 p.m.
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