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Lions use late rally to defeat Warriors

Lyons guard scores eight points in final two minutes

Sports reporter

The Marion Warriors led for 31 minutes and 20 seconds Friday night during their 32-mintue match-up with Lyons.

Problem was, the majority of the 40 seconds they didn't lead were at the end of the game.

"That team is a solid team," Warriors head coach Rex Ostmeyer said of Lyons. "But I thought we were the better team tonight."

Blaine Clark's 14-point fourth quarter effort, including two three-pointers in the final two minutes, were just enough to defeat Marion, 64-62.

The loss drops the Warriors to 3-4 in the Mid-Central Activities Association, and 7-8 overall.

Marion was led by senior Dale Vogel's career-high 25 points. He now leads the MCAA in scoring at 17.3 points per game.

His basket with 1:48 remaining gave the Warriors a two-point lead. Clark then nailed a three and two free throws on back-to-back possessions.

Sophomore Jason Hett scored for Marion to cut the lead to one. After a foul and one free throw by Lyons' Nathan Williams, the Warriors had one last chance.

With no timeouts Marion rebounded Williams' free throw miss and came down the floor with seven seconds remaining. After what seemed to be a little bit of confusion on who would take the shot, Hett fired from 17 feet for the tie, but his shot bounced off the front rim.

"It was the best we played all year on the offensive end," Ostmeyer said.

But it was fatigue in the second half Ostmeyer said that may have contributed to the loss.

Foul trouble forced guards Adam Heerey and Travis Hett to play more minutes than usual, Ostmeyer said, and it forced the Warriors to drop into a zone.

When they did, Clark scorched the net with his three point shooting and perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line.

While acknowledging Lyons is a great team, (it won at Hesston and Haven, only to lose by one at Hillsboro) and noting you can't win very often when letting someone score 29 points as Clark did, Ostmeyer thought there was one play that really changed the game.

At the five-minute mark, Vogel picked up a questionable charge, forcing him to the bench with his fourth foul.

"I don't say this very often, but I think that one call changed the game."

Ostmeyer felt the Lyons players were flopping backward every time Vogel touched the ball in order to have a foul called on the 6-2 center.

"It was the only way they could stop him."

He may have had a point.

As a team Marion attempted nine foul shots to Lyons' 18. Vogel, a big man who relies on taking the ball strong to the hoop and getting fouled at times, shot only two free throws.

He had been averaging four attempts per game, and shot as many as 10 earlier in the season.

However, Ostmeyer knows the foul-shooting discrepancy wasn't the only reason for the loss.

"We had our opportunities," Ostmeyer said. "We just missed shots late."

That included the front end of a one-and-one in the final minutes, a Vogel missed jumper inside a minute, and Jason Hett's final shot at the buzzer.

"We can learn from it," Ostmeyer said.

What the Warriors did learn was they could hang with one of the better teams in the league, on the road.

The Warriors scored first on senior Nick Carlson's jumper and never lost the lead in the first half.

It was 19-14 after one quarter, as Vogel poured in 10 points.

Vogel notched five more in the second and Jason Hett scored seven as Marion led 37-32 at the half.

A strong third quarter effort by the Lions cut the lead to three heading into the final quarter. There, Clark took over down the stretch for the victory.

While Vogel led Marion with 25 points, Travis Hett scored 14 to go along with six rebounds, and seven steals.

Jason Hett added nine points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Carlson chipped in eight points.

Marion plays three games this week after adding the snowed-out home game against Hesston Saturday night.

They played host last night to Halstead and travel Friday to Haven.

Junior varsity

The junior varsity Warriors' basketball team picked up a victory Friday night at Lyons, winning 55-37.

After a close three quarters Marion turned it on in the fourth to easily defeat the Lions.

Junior Dave DeForest led Marion with 13 points, junior Jeremy Vondenkamp scored 12, and sophomore Kyle Hett had 10.

On Saturday Marion was defeated by Hesston in the third-place game of the Hillsboro Classic. Defeating Berean Academy Feb. 5, 65-48, and losing to Hillsboro later in the day, earned them a spot in the third-place game.

Marion currently sits at 11-5 with three games remaining. Their contest with Hesston will not be made up.

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