Dragons avenge home regular-season loss with 51-46 victory
Sports editor
Alexi Bohling scored 14 points, Marissa Vermillion had 13, and Rebecca Denny grabbed 12 rebounds Monday to lead Halstead High School to a 51-46 first round sub-state upset at Marion.
Julia Zeiner and Lindsay Hett each had 13 points for MHS, but the fourth-seeded Warriors managed just two points in the second quarter after leading 14-10 at the end of one.
A 20-9 third quarter for Halstead opened its lead to 38-25 entering the final quarter. The Warriors scored 21 in the fourth, including eight in a row to cut the lead to 39-33 with six minutes to play, but the Dragons still held on for the victory.
Bridget Lundy’s three-pointer cut the lead to six, but the Dragons scored the next four points to open up a 10-point lead.
From there Halstead held a six to 10-point lead until a Hett jumper in the lane made the score 46-42 with 1:44 left in the game.
The Warriors furiously tried for a steal in the final minutes, but Halstead held onto the ball, causing MHS to foul.
The Dragons hit their free throws down the stretch to hold on.
The loss dropped the Warriors record to 12-9 on the season that saw them record the most victories in one year since joining the Mid-Central Activities Association in 2003-04.
Zeiner led the team in scoring with an average of 16.8 points per game, while Hett averaged 13.2, and Kayley Heerey 12.2.
Gordon was the team’s leading rebounder with 155, and 7.4 per game.
Heerey averaged a team-high 3.2 assists per game, and Hett led the team with 63 steals.
Amanda Richmond was the team’s lone senior, and was a member of the Warrior squad all four years.