DRAFFENVILLE – Down by as many as 19 points in the first half against McCracken County, the Marshals kicked it in gear in the second half but the effort was too little too late, going on to lose to the Mustangs 72-64.
This was the Marshals second loss to the Mustangs this season after dropping the first game at McCracken County in overtime 77-70.
“We really didn’t wake up and play until we were down 19 points”, Head Coach Gus Gillespie said. “They started playing awfully hard the second half but it’s tough to beat a team that’s going to win 20-some games in your region.”
Gillespie said his team plays harder when they are down 10-15 points and wants to find a way to change that mind-set of his players in those situations.
McCracken County put the first eight points on the board, six from Tyce Daniel, before the Marshals scored three from Dawson Jolley who was fouled making the basket and sunk the free throw, going on to trail 18-7 at the end of the quarter.
Trailing 26-7 in the second quarter, the Marshals put together a 6-0 run on free throws by Jolley, free throws by D.J. Pigg following a technical on Daniels and a basket from Aaron Reed to close the deficit to 13 points. Closing to within 10 points on a basket by Conner Riley, the Marshals trailed by 11 at halftime ending the half with a steal by Jolley and lay-in at the buzzer.
The Marshals 13-2 run to open the second half was fueled by Reed whose opening basket was followed by two 3-pointers and two free throws to tie the game 34-34. Jolley added two free throws to give the Marshals their first lead of the game but the Mustangs put together their own 14-2 run to take a 10 point lead going into the fourth quarter.
Near the mid-way point of the final quarter, a field goal by Dylan Walters cut the McCracken lead to six points and Walters free throws with just over a minute to go cut the lead to three before the Marshals were forced to begin fouling a Mustang team that hit 88% of their free throw in the game.
Jolley led the Marshals with 26 points while Jacob Zakutney with 24 points and Daniel with 20 for McCracken combined to hit 17 of 21 field goal attempts.
SCORING
McCracken: Zakutney 24, Daniel 20, Sivills 15, Hagan 4, Ellington 3, Hayden 3, Stonecipher 3
Marshall: Jolley 26, Reed 15, Pigg 12, Walters 6, Riley 5
McCracken: Field Goals 23/44, 3-pointers 4/13, Free Throws 22/25, Rebounds 27, Fouls 20, Turnovers 10
Marshall: Field Goals 20/51, 3-pointers 8/22, Free Throws 16/21, Rebounds 28, Fouls 24, Turnovers 13
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| McCracken | 18 | 14 | 16 | 24 | 72 |
| Marshall | 7 | 14 | 17 | 26 | 64 |
