A career high 18 points from senior Brady Miller led the Marshals in their big 73-57 district win Tuesday over Murray, just the spark they needed to snap their five game losing streak. An all-around great effort from all the guys on the floor, the Marshals managing each rally by Murray to pull out the 16 point win.
Murray led just once at 4-2 before Cole Mills tied the game at 4-4, the start of an 8-0 run finished off by Mills for a 10-4 Marshall lead. Murray cut the Marshals lead down to two points but free throws by Kole Sedlock put the lead back to four to end the quarter up 16-12.
Sedlock’s free throws to open the Marshals second quarter scoring held the four point lead and a 3-pointer by Miller stretched it to seven, but Murray would tie it up at 21-21 on a 7-0 run capped off with a 3-pointer by sophomore Grant Whitaker. Mills answered with a three to end the Tigers run followed by four straight from Miller and the lead was back to six points at 28-21. Kaden Driver finished out the quarter with a big three that put the Marshals up 35-28 at halftime.
Quinn Smith, who scored 14 of his 16 points in the game in the second half, made the first two baskets for the Marshals in the third quarter to hold a 39-32 lead. Trey Boggess, with eight in the quarter for Murray, hit his first of two 3-pointers in the quarter to cut the lead to four and it was down to two on a basket by Whitaker.
Riley Smith free throws, a great second-effort basket by Miller and a basket by Mills followed by Miller combined to put the Marshals up by seven but two straight by Whitaker finished out the quarter for Murray and they trailed by just four.
A 3-pointer from Charqwan McCallister cut the Marshals lead to one at 49-48 to open the fourth quarter. Colby Schroader hit a three and from there, the Marshals out-scored Murray 18 to 6, going 8/12 at the free throw line in the final two minutes with a bucket sandwiched in by Driver and a final lay-in by Mills.
Now 1-1 in the 4th District, the Marshals will look to even things up with Calloway County at home on Friday after losing to the Lakers 75-74 on Jan. 15.
Marshall County 16 19 14 21 – 70
Murray 12 16 17 9 – 54
Murray: Whitaker 18, Boggess 15, McCallister 14, Miles 4, Carman 2, Wilson 2
Marshall: Miller 18, Q. Smith 16, Mills 14, Driver 9, Sedlock 7, Schroader 7, R. Smith 2
