A little confidence can go a long way on the basketball court.
After going toe-to-toe with Cherrvyale Tuesday in the opening round of the War on 54 Midseason Tournament, Marmaton Valley High’s boys upped their pace in the second half, particularly on the defensive end.
The Wildcats took control with a 12-5 run spanning the third quarter and cruised to a 52-38 win.
The victory puts Marmaton Valley (3-5) in the tournament semifinals against host Iola, which defeated St. Paul later in the day.
Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday in the Iola High School gymnasium.
The key for MV’s win was the team’s defensive intensity, Wildcat head coach Cornell Walls said.
“There wasn’t a lot of effort on the defensive end at the start, but we picked it up at halftime,” he said.
The Chargers hit a trio of 3-pointers in the first quarter to take a 13-11 lead before the Wildcats got long-range shots from Chase Smith and Todd Stevenson as part of an offensive burst to take a 29-26 lead at the break.
That’s when Walls pointed out how much easier life would be with better defense.
His message — “pick it up” — was received loud and clear.
Marmaton Valley limited the Chargers to four field goals in the second half. Meanwhile, a 14-5 run in the third quarter extended MV’s lead to 42-31.
Six Wildcats scored in the game’s final eight minutes to keep safely ahead.
“We had several guys do well,” Walls said. “We’re still a pretty young team, and it’s just a matter of getting confidence in these guys, believing in themselves.
“We’ve got the pieces,” he said. “It’s just a matter of putting them together.”
Chase Smith led with 14 points. Brayden Lawson was next with 13. Tyler Lord scored seven.
