Warrior girls fall twice to tough opponents
Sports reporter
The schedule was not kind to the Marion High School Warrior girls' basketball team this past week.
After losing a close game Jan. 6 to Hoisington, the Warriors had to travel Jan. 10 to state-ranked Wichita Collegiate and host an Ellinwood team Friday with just one loss on the season.
At Collegiate the Warriors knew it would be a tough go-around after losing last season to the Spartans by more than 50 points. Plus the fact they still had Ashley Bell, one of the league's most talented players.
Bell hurt the Warriors with 26 points, but unlike last season, this game was not over from the start.
MHS held strong in the first quarter trailing by just five, and stayed close in the second, heading into the break down 32-25.
However, like it has been in many games for Marion this season, it was one quarter that did it in. Collegiate came out firing and outscored the Warriors 26-7, ending the game before the final quarter began. Leading 58-32, Collegiate doubled the Warriors output 14-7 in the fourth, taking the game with a 72-39 victory.
Seniors Toni Gordon and Allie Maddox continued to lead MHS in scoring with 19 and 14 points respectively. Gordon added seven rebounds and Maddox six, but it wasn't enough offense for the talented Spartans.
Three days later the Warriors played host to Ellinwood and Chelsea Malone's near 30 points per game.
It looked as if MHS had shaken off the Collegiate loss, jumping ahead with balanced scoring, 9-4.
With just 18 seconds left in the period, Ellinwood used a three-point play to take a 14-13 lead. Marion came right back and scored with less than five seconds on Maddox's put back to lead by one.
Once again the Warriors stayed true to a trend they would like to forget as they were outscored 23-4 in the second quarter, and trailed 37-19 at the break.
The third quarter wasn't kind to Marion either as it was outscored 22-10. A 10-4 fourth quarter for Marion wasn't enough, as it scored 39 for the second straight game, falling 63-39.
Malone torched the Warriors for 29 points on 13-18 shooting, including 2-3 behind the three-point arc.
One positive for Marion was the fact it did not rely on just Gordon and Maddox for points. Maddox led with 12 points, and Megan Hudson chipped in with 10 points, four assists, and fives steals.
Gordon scored seven points, Kari Tajchman four, and Eric Geis, Erin Carr, and Kimber Hardey each had two points.
The two losses dropped the Warriors to 0-3 in the Mid-Central Activities Association, and 3-6 overall.
Trojan Classic
Gordon scored a career-high 26 points Monday, but the Warriors fell to Wamego, in the opening round of the Trojan Classic.
Maddox added 15 points for the Warriors who played last night against Belleville, and will compete Saturday in either the consolation or championship bracket.
