MURRAY – Taking another step toward their ultimate goal of a repeat trip to the Sweet Sixteen, the Lady Marshals defended their 4th District title Monday night in Murray with a 54-36 win over Calloway County.
The next step, a region title and that begins on Saturday with all four girls’ first round games at the CFSB Center. They will know their opponent after Wednesday’s draw.
Almost two and a half minutes elapsed before either team found the net, the Lady Lakers striking first on baskets by Elle Carson and Skylar Waller before Cayson Conner put the Lady Marshals on the board at the 4:30 mark in the first quarter. Conner’s basket launched a 16-0 run that gave them a 16-4 lead early in the second quarter.
The Lady Marshals out-scored the Lady Lakers 18-10 in the second quarter behind two 3-pointers from Layne Pea and five points each from Conner and Halle Langhi to lead 32-10 at halftime.
“We had spurts tonight where we looked really good”, Coach Aaron Beth said, happy with the nine forced turnovers during a stretch in the second quarter when they took their big lead.
Leading 36-19 in the third quarter, Calloway put together a 7-2 run to close the Lady Marshals lead to 12 points at 38-26 heading into the fourth quarter.
A 10-0 run by the Lady Marshals stretched the lead back out to 22 points at 48-26 and they rolled on to take the title game by 18 points.
“Even though they came back and cut it to 10, we went on another run and got it back up to 20 and I think we forced three turnovers…well Layne at the end of the third quarter forced two on her own” Beth said. “So in about a three and a half – four minute stretch, we forced them into five more turnovers.”
Conner led the Lady Marshals with 23 points behind three 3-pointers and was perfect at the line going 4-for-4.
“Offensively, Cayson had a big night”, Beth said. “Cayson’s solid…Cayson’s going to come to play every game, especially now that it’s post season…she’s going to be there.”
“Right now…post-season…it’s just advance and move on. Don’t worry about if you didn’t play so well. Obviously correct some of those mistakes. This point in the year it doesn’t matter. You win the game…you find out who your next opponent is…you prepare and you go try to win the next one.”
Calloway County’s top two scorers aren’t even in high school yet – eighth grader Waller led with 13 points and Sayler Lowe, a seventh grader, had nine for the Lady Lakers.
Calloway 4 10 12 10 – 36
Marshall 14 18 6 16 – 54
Calloway (18-6): Waller 13, Lowe 9, Carson 7, Clark 4, Futrell 3
Marshall (19-2): Conner 23, Langhi 11, Pea 9, Galloway 6, Jezik 3, Darnall 2
4th District Tournament Team: Marshall County – Halle Langhi, Cayson Conner, Layne Pea, Presley Jezik. Calloway County – Skylar Waller, Elle Carson, Sunny Clark. Murray – Angela Gierhart, Makenzie Turley
Photo gallery (click on photo to view larger image)
