Marshals fall in shootout

Free throw shooting
the difference in
three point loss

By Ann Beckett
Tribune-Courier Sports
jnorwood@tribunecourier.com

GRAVes county– Marshall County and Graves County boy’s basketball teams squared off in the usual electric atmosphere of a Marshals-Eagles rivalry game last week. Those in attendance at the Graves County High School gymnasium were treated to a great hard fought high school match-up between two teams who really like to beat each other.

Graves County put the first points on the board with a three and the Marshals answered immediately with a three of their own from Chase York. The Marshals were down by as much as six at one point in the quarter and ended the first quarter trailing the Eagles by four, 13-9.

The Marshals quickly found themselves down 24-9 to the Eagles in the second quarter before they were able to put any points on the board. Down 24-11, Stephen Atkinson hit a three and rolled in a layup off a Marshall County steal and brought the Marshals back to within eight of Graves County, 24-16. With less than two minutes to go in the quarter, Tanner Wilson’s three gave the Marshals 19 points and they ended the first half trailing 28-19.

The second half started like the first half with a three from Graves County, answered by a three from Marshall County. At the 4:50 mark in the third quarter, Wilson hit his third three of the night and the Marshals were back to within one with the score 32-31. The two teams were tied at 35 at the end of the third quarter.

Graves County went up by two at the beginning of the fourth, 37-35. Wilson was fouled by the Eagles’ Aaron Cooper while shooting a three but missed all three at the line. A basket by York put the Marshals up 38-37. With less than four minutes left in the game, the two teams were all square at 41. Down by two, 47-45, Atkinson came out of the game with a leg cramp, and a foul on the Eagles’ Ryan Vogt puts the Marshals in the double bonus. York made 1-of-2 at the line to bring the Marshals within one, 47-46, with 1:35 left in the game.

A foul on Nelson put Graves in the double bonus and they made 1-of-2, going back up by two. York was fouled and went to the line making 1-of-2 and Marshall was back to within one again. The Marshals would steal a Graves rebound but the ball would be turned over out of bounds.

With 36 seconds to go, Vogt made a basket for Graves and was fouled by Colby Wiseman, making that his fifth foul of the game. Vogt sank both at the line and the Marshals trailed 50-47. Blake Clark was fouled by Vogt, who fouled out of the game. Clark made 1-of-2, and the Marshals were trailing by three. Graves County went up 52-48, when Cole Nelson was fouled. Nelson made both at the line. York fouled Graves County’s Cooper who made 1-of-2 at the end of the game as the Marshals fell to the Eagles by a final score of 53-50.

The Marshals were just 8-for-24 at the free throw line on the night. Stephen Atkinson led all scorers with 23 points. The Marshals were outrebounded 33 to 24 with 10 of those at the defensive end by Graves County’s Ryan Vogt.

The Marshals began play in the Superman Classic at Massac County High School on Monday prior to presstime.