Warriors drop two tough ones
Sports reporter
The second quarter against Smoky Valley Jan. 31 may have been the best the Marion High School girls' basketball team has played all season.
Trailing 10-6 at the end of the first quarter, the Warriors outscored the Vikings 19-10 in the second to grab a 25-20 halftime lead.
MHS used balanced scoring in the quarter with six points each from Kari Tajchman and Erin Carr, four points from Toni Gordon, and three from Allie Maddox.
MHS followed a familiar trend by letting one quarter decide the outcome, and was outscored 22-9 in the third.
The Vikings used a 9-0 run to start the quarter and claim the lead they would never relinquish.
After Tajchman nailed two free throws with less than a minute to play in the quarter the lead was cut to 37-34.
Then came Smoky Valley's Rhys Pihl.
The guard who scored 10 points and recorded five assists, nailed a three with 15 seconds left, then stole the ball and converted a fast break layup just seconds before the buzzer.
The five-point outburst gave the Vikings a 42-34 lead and all the momentum.
The Warriors would get no closer, falling in the end, 60-47.
Enos thought it was one of the best games the girls had played in a while, but in the end the Vikings wore them down with their depth.
Carr led Marion with 14 points, including four three-pointers.
Maddox had 13 points and seven rebounds, and Tajchman added eight points, 12 rebounds, and five assists.
Nickerson
MHS made a valiant effort at a comeback Friday at Nickerson, but fell to the Panthers, 46-45.
After being outscored 10-6 in both the first and second quarter, the Warriors trailed 20-12 at the break.
But Maddox would not let the Warriors go down without a fight, scoring 27 points and doing all she could to keep her team close. Toni Gordon did her part as well, recording a double-double with 10 points, and 12 rebounds.
In the end the Marion comeback attempt was thwarted, as Nickerson claimed the one-point victory.
Carr added three points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals, and Tajchman scored two points and grabbed six rebounds.
