— Justin McGill/Tribune-Courier

Marshall County’s Jessica Holder shoots in front of a Union County player during the Lady Marshals’ win Friday.

Lady Marshals have week to prepare for Calloway

MCHS extends
win streak to four

By Justin McGill
Tribune-Courier Managing Editor
jmcgill@tribunecourier.com

DRAFFENVILLE – With illness and injury still plauging the Lady Marshals, a week off before a return match against 4th District leader Calloway County is just what the doctor ordered.

MCHS won Friday over Union County and last Tuesday at Livingston Central to enter that break on a positive note.

A year ago, Marshall County lost 65-47 at Union County. Head Coach Howard Beth missed the game to be with his ailing father, and leading scorer Jessica Holder left the contest early with an ankle injury.

While the Lady Marshals look much different now than they did in that game, Union County may have changed more, Beth said, which accounts for the 81-39 MCHS win.

“We went out and played awfully well early,” Beth said. “Jess went at it hard and wanted the ball. She hasn’t showed as much second effort as she did tonight.”

MCHS scored the first 10 points of the game and held a 26-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. The lead continued to swell in the second quarter until MCHS was ahead 48-19.

A three-pointer by Laken Tabor put MCHS ahead 64-26 at the end of the third quarter, and back-to-back baskets by Jordon Hall and Ashley Smith at the end of the game gave the Lady Marshals their largest lead of the contest.

Beth said the rhythm the Lady Marshals set and maintained led to solid execution on both sides of the floor.

“When you play well on the offensive end, the defensive end tends to take care of itself,” Beth said.

Holder led the way with 34 points and 11 rebounds, while Smith and Tabor added nine points, Hannah Ellis had six and Karra Fisk scored five.

With solid individual scoring performances from those five at different points in the season, Beth said the Lady Marshals will be a dangerous club, especially if point guard Margaret Thomas continues to improve.

“She doesn’t have to score if she runs the ballclub well,” Beth said. “If she keeps us under control and keeps the rhythm going, that’s the job of a point guard.”

Barring unforseen circumstances, the Lady Marshals will enter Friday’s Homecoming game against Calloway the same way they started this season – healthy, except for junior point guard Jordan Gilland, who could return within the next few weeks.

“It’s important that we get our roles established again,” Beth said. “Right now, we can go through seven or eight players and be fine. You have to have that set by this time of year.”
Beth said the week off between games should help the Lady Marshals fix what went wrong in their Jan. 5 loss to the Lady Lakers.

“We need a couple of days off,” Beth said. “It’s a big game for us. Calloway’s the best team we’ve played since we played them last time. If we go in and correct some of the things we did wrong down there and they play a really good game and beat us, that won’t bother me.”

Marshall County 81, Union County 39
Friday @ Draffenville

Marshall County 26 22 16 17
Union County 10 9 7 13

TEAM STATS
Shooting
Overall: MC 46.7% (29/62)
UC 30.2% (13/43)
3-pointers: MC 45.5% (5/11) UC 21.4% (3/14)
Free throws: MC 72.0% (18/25)
UC 53.8% (7/13)

Turnovers MC 8
UC 15
Rebounds: MC 25 (Holder 11) UC 18
Assists: MC 18 (Fisk 8) Blocks: MC 8 (Holder 4)
UC 0
Steals: MC 12 (Holder 4)

INDIVIDUAL STATS
MC: Holder 13-23 (1-2)7-8 34; Ellis 2-2 2-2 6; Smih 4-9 (0-2) 1-2 9; Thomas 0-1 0; Fisk 1-7 (0-1) 3-4 5; Tabor 7-9 (4-4) 18; Hall 1-4 (0-1) 0-1 2; Lawson 0-3 (0-1) 4-6 4; Hunt 1-2 1-2 3

Marshall County 66, Livingston Central 52
Last Tuesday @ Smithland

Marshall County 14 19 21 22
Livingston Cent. 15 11 18 8

TEAM STATS
Shooting
Overall: MC 53.2% (25/47)
LC 39.6% (19/48)
3-pointers: MC 41.7% (5/12) LC 38.1% (8/21)
Free throws: MC 68.8% (11/16)
LC 60.0% (6/10)

Turnovers MC 21
LC 15
Rebounds: MC 25 (Holder 17) LC 10 (Shull 5)
Assists: MC 14 (Thomas 10) LC 10 (Whetstone 4)
Blocks: MC 8 (Holder 8)
LC 0
Steals: MC 11 (Holder 4)
LC 9 (Whetstone 3)
Fouls: MC 14
LC 17
Fouled out: MC - Ellis
LC - Shull

INDIVIDUAL STATS
MC: Tabor 2-10 (2-7) 6; Fisk 3-8 (1-3) 2-2 9; Thomas 3-5 1-2 7; Hall 1-2 2; Ellis 3-5 1-1 7; Lawson 1-1 2; Holder 12-16 (2-2) 7-11 33

LC: Whetstone 6-13 (4-10) 2-2 18; Kitchens 2-4 (1-2) 0-1 5; Shull 4-14 4-5 12; Woodward 3-8 (2-6) 8; Owen 1-4 (1-3) 3; Harris 2-2 4; Ringstaff 1-1 2