Marmaton Valley High’s boys were up for the challenge against a taller Anderson County squad Thursday, at least for a little while.
The Wildcats broke out to a 9-6 lead by the mid-point of the first quarter, thanks to a couple of early buckets by Dominic Smith.
But a growing number of turnovers and missed free throws allowed Anderson County to get the upper hand.
The Bulldogs ended the first quarter on a 12-3 run, setting the tone for the rest of the game in a 75-36 victory.
The loss, in the championship semifinals of the War on 54 Midseason Tournament, put Marmaton Valley in Friday’s third-place game against host Iola. (Results were unavailable by press time.)
“Anderson County’s a good team,” Wildcat head coach Cornell Walls said. “We knew that coming in, that we had nothing to lose. I’m sure everybody probably expected us to lose, but I liked the way we came out and fought and hung with them.”
And if the inside play of Anderson County’s Noah Porter wasn’t enough, Marmaton Valley also had to contend with some outside shooting from Brylan Sommer and Brayden Wheat.
The pair combined to hit five 3-pointers, all starting in the second quarter.
Anderson County stretched its advantage to 40-23 at halftime before putting together a 22-8 third-quarter run.
But Marmaton Valley lost the services of senior guard Jaedon Granere at halftime due to illness.
“He’s a big part of what we need to do, and we got a little stagnant in the second half,” Walls continued. “We weren’t able to get the ball inside, and couldn’t execute.”
Smith scored 11 to lead the Wildcats. Granere and Lane Lord added seven each.
Anderson County’s Wheat poured in 24 points, followed by Porter with 20, Aydan Steele with 15 and Sommer with 12.
“We faced diversity, and that’s good for us,” Walls said. “It prepares us for later in the season. We know we’ve got stuff to work on. As long as we come out and fight hard, and as long as we’re learning, I’m happy.”
Anderson Co. (18-22-22-13—75)
