MORAN — An inexperienced and shorthanded Marmaton Valley Junior High girls team ended its season in much the same manner it exhibited throughout the 2022-23 campaign: by fighting tooth and nail until the final buzzer.
With only eight players — five of whom had never played basketball before the season — the Wildcats nevertheless played evenly with most of their opponents.
Thursday’s finale against visiting Jayhawk-Linn was more of the same.
Marmaton Valley came up short in A team play, falling 35-26, and in a two-quarter B team game, 12-10.
The team’s lack of numbers prevented MVJH from fielding a C team.
“We couldn’t ask for a better group of girls to work with,” Wildcat assistant coach Brenda Mills said. “Most of the girls played both the A and B games this season. These girls worked hard.”
Alas, Jayhawk-Linn was able to pull away from Marmaton Valley down the stretch. The Wildcats were within 21-19 after three periods, but Jayhawk-Linn sealed the victory with a 14-7 fourth-quarter spurt.
The game was tightly fought up to then. Marmaton Valley led 7-5 after one period before Jayhawk-Linn entered halftime with a 15-14 advantage.
Addisyn Drake and Mahala Burris shared scoring honors for the Wildcats with seven points apiece. Taylen Blevins notched five, Emma Louk four, Andie Carr two and Kaylee Burris one.
Meanwhile, the Wildcat B team came up just short in a 12-20 defeat over two quarters of play.
Drake scored six for Marmaton Valley, Mahala Burris three and Blevins one.
Mills pointed to Marmaton Valley’s other close losses this season as an indication of how the team never wavered in its dedication, even when victories remained elusive.
“We were at a disadvantage with such little experience, but they gave all they could,” Mills said. “We had an awesome season.”
