Gordon's big game leads Warriors to victory
Sports reporter
Luke Gordon had 18 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks Jan. 29 to lead Marion High School to its third league victory of the season.
Despite scoring just 28 points through three quarters, MHS (3-2 MCAA, 6-8 overall) poured in 22 in the final period, defeating Nickerson (8-5), 50-45.
"It wasn't pretty," Warrior head coach Rex Ostmeyer said. "But this is a good win against a senior-laden team with a lot of experience."
Nickerson took control early with a 7-2 lead, and led by three after the end of the first quarter, 11-8.
It was Gordon who took control early for the Warriors, scoring 10 straight points between the first and second quarters after sophomore Eric Vogel started the Warrior scoring with a layup.
Senior Calvin Jeffrey's three-pointer with three minutes, 21 seconds left in the second quarter snapped a 10:03 streak of only Gordon baskets for MHS.
"Luke has been getting better every game, and tonight was obviously his coming out party," Ostmeyer said. "For the most part, he finished. We have a serious problem on this team finishing against contact on the inside."
But with nearly half of their 50 points (24) coming in the paint, that was not the case in this game.
After Jeffrey's three, Vogel hit back-to-back layups to turn a 19-12 Panther lead into a 19-all tie.
But just a minute later, Nickerson had reeled off six straight points to take a 25-19 lead into halftime.
"It seemed like every time we took a step forward, we took two back," Ostmeyer said.
Halfway through the third quarter MHS had taken one step back, now trailing by seven, 30-23.
Vogel then hit a layup, Isaac Hett a free throw, and Elliot Hett a layup, and the lead was cut to 30-28 heading into the fourth quarter.
The final eight minutes were a flurry of points, with senior Justin Heidebrecht connecting on his first three, with a three-pointer two minutes in to cut the lead to 32-31.
Heidebrecht, who had scored below his average the past three games, got his confidence back after the make.
"Justin hit a huge shot," Ostmeyer said of his three-pointer.
But after missing another three his next time down, he hit some shots that may have been even bigger.
Still trailing by one, the senior attempted his third three in as many Warriors possessions, this time however, he was fouled.
Heidebrecht calmly stepped up and nailed all three to give MHS its first lead of the game.
After a Nickerson basket tied the game, Jeffrey hit a three-pointer with 3:41 left, and Marion never trailed again.
The senior point guard came off a screen, caught the pass at the top of the key, and while fading away, swished the shot.
The Panthers, who had seemed in control of the game, never got closer than three points, and a desperation three at the buzzer made the score seem closer than it really was.
"It was just a good second half," Ostmeyer said. "We outscored them by 11, but really it was 14 without that three-pointer.
"We just kind of gutted it out in the fourth quarter, and found a way to win."
Lyons
MHS fell to 3-3 in the MCAA and 6-9 overall Friday with a 62-51 loss at Lyons.
Jeffrey led the way with 17 points, five rebounds, and four blocks, and Gordon had his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, but the Warriors couldn't beat the Lions for the second time this season.
The Lions came out hot in the first quarter of their homecoming game, scoring 20 points, and leading by six after the first period.
"That often happens when you're on the road, especially for homecoming," Ostmeyer said.
But he also said the team weather the storm a bit, and played the Lions, whom Marion beat earlier in the season, even the rest of the way.
But when you start out down, even the rest of the way doesn't work.
"We never could make a run," Ostmeyer said. "They made a few more plays than we did."
The Warriors game Tuesday at Haven was post-poned, and MHS will have its homecoming game Friday against Halstead.
