MORAN—It was another tough night for Marmaton Valley High’s Wildcats as the boys’ basketball team lost big at home Tuesday to the Indians of St. Paul High, 57-39.
The Wildcats hung tough with the Indians until final period when things unraveled.
Holding St. Paul to 14 first period points, Marmaton Valley was in striking distance, down only three points heading into the second period.
“We played pretty well early on,” said Denny Lasley, Wildcat head coach.
The Wildcats did their best to keep pace in the first half. They headed into the locker room at the break down 27-20, and continued the effort in the third. Spotty shooting by the Indians gave the Wildcats life as they entered the final period of play down 40-32.
That’s when the game got away from the boys from Moran. A total of 17 team turnovers, most of which were in the second half, gave the Indian offense the opportunities it had been waiting for.
“We just cant keep turning the ball over,” said a frustrated Lasley after the game. “We never executed our offense very well. We just have to be patient.”
St. Paul put the game out of reach late when it went on a 17-7 scoring run in the final period.
With the loss, the Wildcats fell to 2-6 on the season.
St. Paul’s Brayden Beachner lead all players with 16 points. Wildcat scoring leaders were Zach Louk with 11 points, Cole Becker with 10 and Nathan Smart with nine. Louk and Jimmy Frye led the Wildcats with five rebounds each.
Marmaton Valley (11-9-12-7—39) (FG/3-pt): Louk 2/2-1-3-11, Stevenson 1-0-1-2, Smith 0-0-4-0, Becker 5-0-2-10, J. Frye 1-0-3-2, Ramsey 0-0-1-0, Hamlin 2-0-2-4, Stewart 0-1-5-1, Smart 3-3-4-9. TOTALS: 14/2-5-25-39.
St. Paul (14-13-13-17—57): A. O’Brien 1/1-0-1-5, Westoff 1/3-2-2-13, Gard 1-0-4-2, J. O’Brien 3-4-2-10, Dicken 2-4-4-8, Beachner 7-2-0-16, Corn 0-3-0-3. TOTALS: 15/4-15-13-57.
