Lions end season for Warriors
Sports reporter
Trailing by just three points after the first quarter Monday, it looked as if the Marion High School girls' basketball team would hang around with the third-seeded Lyons Lions at the Lyons sub-state tournament.
However, the Lions were playing at home and had the Emporia State-bound Andrea Lieker on their side.
For the second straight game against Marion, Lieker scored 30 points. This time she got help from her teammates as well, with three others scoring in double-figures, in the 76-58 victory.
Marion was led by junior Allie Maddox and her career-high 21 points. Seniors Leann Thomas and Sarah Williams added 11 points and six rebounds.
Lieker and the Lions opened up the second quarter on a 12-0 run, and outscored the Warriors 18-9 for a 33-21 lead at the break.
Marion never got closer than 10 the rest of the way.
Coach Daryl Enos was disappointed with the early exit, but was proud of his team after wrapping up its first year in the Mid-Central Activities Association.
"The last month we've made a lot of improvement," Enos said. "We just couldn't take advantage of what they gave us."
Marion finished 3-8 in the MCAA and 8-12 overall in its first year.
Sterling
The Warriors closed out the regular season Feb. 22 with a commanding 59-46 victory against the Sterling Black Bears.
A 17-0 run in the second quarter helped the Warriors pull away, en route to the 13-point victory.
Thomas led Marion with 13 points and three rebounds.
Five other seniors ended their home careers that night.
Katie Zogelman (five points), Jill Hannaford (three points), Sarah Williams (nine points), Molly Rhodes (two points), and Amber Richmond (three points) all walked off the home court one final time as winners.
