Warriors run rampant over Ellinwood
Sports reporter
If Marion High School boys' basketball head coach Rex Ostmeyer had any concerns about how the Christmas break would affect his team's legs, they were alleviated Friday night at Ellinwood.
The Warriors ran at will against the Eagles, sprinting to an easy 66-44 victory.
"I think we worked pretty hard in the week leading up to the game, and it paid off," Ostmeyer said.
Jason Hett poured in 19 points, one better than Travis Hett, who leads the Mid — Central Activities Association in scoring average through seven games. Jason Hett ranks 10th among MCAA scorers.
The Warriors shot a blistering 59 percent from the field in the first half, piling up 40 points with fast break layups that left the Eagles reeling.
The Warrior offensive outburst was fueled by a smothering defense that allowed Ellinwood only two points in the first seven minutes of the game. Jason Hett and Emmanuel Jackson each had two steals during the period.
Ellinwood shooters were so rattled by the Warrior pressure that even when they found themselves open, their shots rattled off the mark. The Eagles shot a dismal 29.8 percent from the field for the contest.
Starting the second half with a 40-19 lead, the Warriors quickly extended their advantage to 26 points, 45-19, on a Jason Hett three-point shot at the 6:27 mark of the third quarter.
Marion went a bit flat for the next seven minutes, as Ellinwood chipped the deficit to 17, 50-33, early in the fourth quarter.
But baskets by Jason Hett, Jackson, and Justin Heidebrecht extended the Warrior lead, and Travis Hett's free throw with 4:20 remaining re-established the 26-point bulge the Warriors would enjoy until the final seconds of the game.
Top Warrior scorers besides the Hetts were Jackson and Luke Gordon, with eight points each.
The Warriors won the battle of the boards, 42-35, collecting 30 rebounds on the defensive end. Ellinwood managed to gather 17 offensive boards, a statistic that in this type of game gave Ostmeyer little concern.
"The thing I don't like is when we give up an offensive rebound and they score on it," explained Ostmeyer. "We only gave up four putbacks, and that's OK."
Overall, Ostmeyer felt the game was good for getting his team back into form following the holidays.
"You're always apprehensive after you haven't played for 21 days, because essentially you shut it all down and start over again," said Ostmeyer.
"We got a lot of easy baskets in the first half, which is what you want to do coming back from a break, because your perimeter shooting is going to be a bit rusty," Ostmeyer said.
The Warriors will make an even longer road trip Friday to take on Hoisington, before jumping into Trojan Classic action Tuesday in Hillsboro.
