MORAN — First the bad news.
A cold stretch starting in the late first quarter did in Marmaton Valley High’s girls Thursday. A number of turnovers turned into transition buckets for the visiting Eagles, leading to a 12-0 Uniontown run and a 49-35 victory.
But aside from that cold spell, Wildcat head coach Becky Carlson found much to like with the Wildcats’ performance.
“To me, that’s the best team we’ve played this season,” Carlson said. “Aside from that spurt, we played with them.”
Janae Granere and Aly Ard both connected from deep for Marmaton Valley in the first quarter to help the Wildcats keep pace with Uniontown. Kayla Ard’s inside bucket for Marmaton Valley kept the Wildcats within 10-8 late in the period.
But Uniontown is 13-1 for a reason. Sterling guard play, particularly on defense.
The Eagles clamped down on the press, ending the first half on a 5-0 run before scoring seven straight to open the second quarter.
“We just got stagnant in the second quarter,” Carlson said. “We started standing around a bit. There’s a point when we play that twe get a little impatient.”
Granere ended the dry spell with a 3-pointer at the 2:15 mark of the half. Kayla Ard added a layup and free throw later to keep MV within shouting distance at 27-14.
Uniontown’s all-state point guard, Danielle Howard led the way through the second and third quarters, primarily with transition buckets to keep the Wildcats from threatening down the stretch. She scored seven in the second quarter and nine in the third to finish the night with 23 points.
Even so, Carlson was pleased with how Marmaton Valley defended Howard in the half court
“I thought we did a great job on her.” Carlson said.
The Wildcats kept pace after intermission. Peyton Scharff came off the bench to score all nine of her points in the third and fourth quarters, a product of some effective ball movement.
Her teammates repeatedly found Scharff inside for open looks.
“ When we move the ball, we’re good at finding the open players,” Carlson said.
Granere led Marmaton Valley with 12 points. Kayla Ard wound up with six and Aly Ard five.
