Vogel goes for 23 and nine during 67-53 loss
Sports editor
For two quarters they were right there.
The Marion High School Warriors trailed Hillsboro 31-29 at halftime Tuesday night on the Trojans home court during the first round of sub-state action.
However, the Trojans used a 6-0 run to start the third quarter to jump ahead by eight and built their lead to as many as 11 with less than two minutes to go in the third quarter.
MHS refused to go away as they closed the quarter with a 5-0 run.
Eric Vogel scored two of his team and season-high 23 points to cut the lead to 47-38.
On Marion’s next possession, Elliot Hett dumped a pass into the corner for Wil Case, who drained a high-arching three at the buzzer to cut the lead to 47-41.
It was as close as the Warriors would get, as Hillsboro hit five free throws to open the fourth quarter and extend its lead to 11 at 52-41.
Two free throws each from Vogel and Hett cut the lead to 52-45, but the Trojans clamped down on defense.
They scored five more points before allowing a Vogel basket which made the score 57-45.
The teams traded free throws and baskets, but it wasn’t enough for Marion to cut into the lead.
The Trojans eventually won by 14.
Daniel Jost and David Loewen made up for the absence of the injured Clay Shewey, accounting for 46 points and 18 rebounds in the victory.
Hett was Marion’s next leading scorer behind Vogel with nine points, five rebounds, and four assists.
Case chipped-in with seven points while Mitchell Leppke had five.
Leppke, Hett, and Luke Gordon ended their Warrior basketball careers with the loss.
Gordon had four points and six rebounds in just 18 foul-plagued minutes.
Vogel ended up the team’s leading scorer on the season with an average of 12 points per game to go along with 6.4 rebounds per contest.
Hett was next in line with an average of 11 points and 2.9 rebounds. He also led the team with 39 assists and 44 steals.
Gordon recorded a team-high 30 blocks during the year.
The Trojans will move on to Friday’s semifinal action against 19-2 Sedgwick.