MURRAY – Tuesday’s 63-47 win over Murray and a win Friday over Calloway County will earn the Marshals an automatic spot in the First Region Tournament and District Tournament championship game. Murray didn’t make it easy on the Marshals in the first half of the game, led by Preston English who scored 20 of his 28 points in the half, but the defense picked it up in the second half, holding English to eight points and out-scoring the Tigers 33-18 for the 16 point win, a much different game from their 67-35 win over the Tigers earlier this season.
Matt French and Lucas Nichols gave the Marshals an early 4-0 lead followed by English’s first basket of the game. French scored again for a 6-2 lead but the Tigers continued to answer and took a 9-8 lead on a 3-pointer by English. Four points from Aaron Reed on free throws and a field goal was followed by a goal from Tyler Stokes that put the Marshals up 14-9, but English finished the quarter with a final basket to cut the Marshall lead to three.
Murray’s second quarter was their best of the game, beginning with two straight and-one’s by English to give the Tigers a 19-16 lead. The Marshals would take the lead back on four straight points from Reed and a basket from Lucas Nichols to go up 24-19 but Murray cut the lead back to one on baskets by RaVichael Strickland and Tommy Speed.
A steal by English and basket, drawing the foul for the three point play, gave Murray a 29-28 lead with 29.1 seconds to go in the first half, but a basket before the buzzer by Walters put the Marshals back on top 30-29 at halftime.
Reed began the third quarter for the Marshals with two straight steals that resulted in four points from the junior forward at the free throw line that quickly put them up by five points, cut to a two point lead again at 38-36 following English’s 24th point of the game. The Marshals went on to outscore Murray 12-5 to finish the third quarter with a 50-41 lead.
A steal and basket by Reed on his way to an 18 point game and baskets from Walters and Nichols gave the Marshals a 56-41 lead in the fourth quarter. English dropped in his final basket of the game to cut the Marshals lead to 13 points but baskets from French and Walters stretched the Marshals lead out to 17, going on to win by 16 at the final buzzer.
SCORING
Marshall: Reed 18, Walters 12, French 12, Smith 7, Nichols 6, Stokes 4, Prange 2, Harvey 2
Murray: English 28, Merriss 5, Utley 3, Hilbrecht 2, Rogers 2, Speed 2, Osborne 2, Strickland 2, Lovins 1
Marshall: Field Goals 25/46, 3-pointers 2/12, Free Throws 11/13, Rebounds 27, Fouls 13, Assists 10, Turnovers 12, Steals 10
Murray: Field Goals 18/40, 3-pointers 3/19, Free Throws 8/10, Rebounds 19, Fouls 12, Assists 6, Turnovers 16
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| Marshall | 14 | 16 | 20 | 11 | 63 |
| Murray | 11 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 47 |
