Staff writer
Marion High School girls head coach Randy Savage said that his team played its best basketball Friday at Moundridge.
The Warrior offense and defense clicked in the 57-46 victory. Marion shot 40 percent from the field and 42 percent behind the 3-point line and held the Wildcats to 30 percent and 21 percent in both categories. Marion led by as much as 18 in the second half; the Wildcats clawed away seven points by forcing the Warriors to shoot free throws for nearly half of the fourth quarter.
The Warriors looked to attack the Wildcat defense. At one point, Lindsay Hett called emphatically for a pass on the 3-point line and quickly made the shot.
Warrior wing Kayley Heerey set the tone for the Warriors, shooting over her defenders and hitting all four of her 3-point attempts as part of a 15-point performance.
“I played against my brothers,” Heerey said. “I had to learn to shoot over them.”
Savage lauded Heerey’s shooting abilities.
“Her range is a long way away,” Savage said. “You better guard her when she comes across half court.”
Hett was Marion’s leading scorer with 18 points. She opened up her offensive game against the Wildcats, scoring repeatedly from the 15- to 18-foot range.
As a team, the Warriors shot well from beyond the arc. Along with Heerey, who swished all of her shots from long range, Hett went two-for-four. Even Julia Zeiner, who usually resigns herself to scoring in the paint, went three-for-four from 3-point range.
“The seniors are pretty good at taking the threes in the context of the offense,” Savage said.
Savage was pleased with the team’s efforts on the defensive end. The Warriors did a good job switching up looks: they played a 2-3 zone, man-to-man, and played a 1-3-1 that put an emphasis on containing Moundridge’s Spencer Suderman’s proficient outside shooting. Suderman shot two for 11 from 3-point range due to the efforts of Hett.
“She played (Suderman) very well,” Savage said.
With everything put in consideration, especially the fact that the Warriors had the fewest turnovers in any game so far this season, Savage is encouraged by the direction the team is headed.
“To me,” he said, “that was the best game we played all year.”