Staff writer
The Marion High School girls basketball team defeated Elyria Saturday, 43-29, to take fifth place in the Centre tournament.
The Warriors outscored Elyria 17-2 in the third quarter. They ended the period on a 15-0 run, turning a 6-point halftime deficit into a 37-28 lead.
Elyria scored 3 points in the final two quarters; Marion scored 6 points to finish the fourth quarter.
“That’s the best two quarters we’ve had all year,” coach Randy Savage said.
The run was created by the aggressive defense of guards Erin Meierhoff and Katey Ehrlich with 3 steals apiece. The half-court traps led to a bevy of fast-break points. Meierhoff scored 10 points in the second half and Ehrlich added 6.
Whitney Gordon scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Donna Cady scored 7 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, blocked 2 shots, and recorded 2 steals.
Megan Richmond submitted another quality guard performance. She had 2 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, a block, and 2 steals.
“One of the girls said, ‘that was Marion basketball in the second half,’” Savage said. “The second half was fun to watch.”
White City
The Warriors defeated White City, 33-30, on Friday.
Gordon gave the Warriors the lead, 16-14, at the end of the half. She scored all 12 of her points in the first half, although she spread 10 rebounds over the course of the game. Marion outrebounded White City 38-34.
Ehrlich, Meierhoff, and Emily Hett picked up the scoring slack in the second half. Ehrlich had 8 points to go along with 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Meierhoff had 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals. Emily Hett had 6 points and 4 rebounds.
Hett iced the game for the Warriors with two free throws with 54.9 seconds left in the contest. White City player Mindy Stilwell scored on a layup and Husky Cyndi Carson hit a 3-pointer in the closing minute, but it was not enough to overtake Marion.