Staff writer
The Marion High School girls basketball team opened up its game against Lyons on Friday at Lyons with a 20-3 first quarter effort. The Warriors won the game, 50-21.
The Warriors jumped out to a quick start by submitting the Lions to constant full-court pressure. Julia Zeiner was the Warriors’ leading aggressor, using her rare blend of height and speed to create havoc at the point of Marion’s full-court press.
“I want the ball to be ours,” Zeiner said. “I want to put pressure on them.”
Zeiner played with an attacking style on both offense and defense. She regularly led the Warrior fast break and took on multiple defenders on drives to the basket. Zeiner was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Warriors with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
In the second quarter, the Warriors scaled back their pressure but Lyons outscored Marion 8-7 in the quarter. Marion head coach Randy Savage thought the Warriors recovered well when they returned to their pressing ways in the second half.
“We were lethargic,” Savage said of his team’s play in the second quarter. “If we’re doing something on the full-court, we seem to play better.”
Overall, the Warriors handled their business on the road, against an overmatched opponent. Lindsay Hett — often Marion’s point guard — was taller than the starting center for Lyons.
“You have to learn to focus when you’re up by 20,” Savage said. “You can’t just turn it off and on.”
Stats
Zeiner: 21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals
Kayley Heerey: 11 points, 3/5 shooting from 3-point range, 2 assists, 4 steals
Hett: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals