Wednesday, March 9th, 2022
Good run ends for Flyers
Marion Local struggles on offense in semifinal loss
By Tom Haines
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Marion Local's Jack Knapke (33) pulls a rebound away from Antwerp's Kaden Recker (4) during Tuesday's Division IV boys basketball regional semifinal at Bowling Green State University's Stroh Center.
BOWLING GREEN - Just when Marion Local seemed to be flying high, Antwerp brought it back to earth.
The Flyers started the second half on a 7-0 run, only to go silent for more than four minutes as Antwerp ripped off nine straight points to retake control, sending Marion to a 41-23 defeat in the Division IV boys basketball regional semifinals at the Stroh Center at Bowling Green State University on Tuesday.
The Archers (25-1) takes on undefeated Tiffin Calvert (26-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. The Senecas defeated Ottoville 59-45 in the opening semifinal.
"I thought if they got an eight- or 10-point lead on us, we'd be in a little trouble, because they can move the ball and space you out," Marion coach Kurt Goettemoeller said. "So I knew we needed to get off to a good start (in the third quarter), and we did. But they dropped that 1-3-1 zone on us.
"I thought we were going to be fine, but we just struggled moving the ball."
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Marion Local's Brady Ronnebaum (5) goes up for a shot as Antwerp's Luke Krouse defends.
Marion initially surged back from a four-point halftime deficit, starting with a driving layup by Brady Ronnebaum and followed by a free throw by Jadyn Mescher to cut the deficit to one. Mescher's second free throw missed, but after two empty Antwerp possessions, Tate Hess got to the hoop to put the Flyers ahead 17-16.
Ronnebaum drove from the wing to stretch the lead to three with 5:19 left in the quarter, but just as quickly, the Flyers' fortunes turned.
Landon Brewer converted a hoop-and-harm to tie the game at 19 with just under five minutes left in the third, then added a pair of free throws after a Marion turnover to make it 21-19 Antwerp. After Ronnebaum missed a three, Jagger Landers took a pass from Luke Krouse in the paint and got a layup to stretch the lead to four.
Landers blocked a shot by Hess on the next possession and grabbed the rebound, and Parker Moore got wide open on the right elbow for a three that made it 26-19.
"The bucket and foul by Landon was huge to get us going, get us back in the flow of things," Antwerp coach Doug Billman said. "And Parker Moore had a great third quarter for us. Gaige (McMichael) got hit in the eye, and we had to bring Parker in, and he made a big three."
Ronnebaum hit a jumper to break the Flyers' 4 1/2 minute drought, but Brewer answered 22 seconds later and Marion went into the fourth down seven.
Landers stole the ball on the first possession of the fourth quarter and found Krouse at the left elbow for a trey to make it 31-21. The Flyers never seriously threatened from there, mustering just one bucket the rest of the way.
"We didn't make any shots," Goettemoeller said. "I know we made two threes early in the game, but after that I don't think we made a perimeter shot all night… if we'd made some shots against that zone, stayed in the game, we'd have had a real chance."
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Marion Local's Peyton Otte (22) helps put pressure on Antwerp's Landon Brewer.
"We've been shooting the ball really well lately," senior Peyton Otte said. "It was about time that we just didn't have a good night shooting, and it was tonight, unfortunately."
After falling behind 4-0 early, the Flyers scored eight straight as Jack Knapke put back a miss and Tate Hess and Brady Ronnebaum drained threes. Marion's defense held the Archers scoreless for 5 1/2 minutes of the first quarter, with Landon Brewer snapping the Flyers' run with a layup off the inbounds pass with 36.5 seconds left to make it 8-6.
Brewer struck again at the start of the second, hitting a contested three off the dribble to put Antwerp up 9-8 with 7:46 left in the half.
Marion pulled ahead 10-9 on a Knapke layup a minute later, but Brewer drove the baseline to put the Archers back on top and Gaige McMichael added a long jumper that bounced twice and fell through to make it 13-10 with 3:11 left.
Hess responded with a driving layup, but Landers got wide open for a trey from the right elbow to stretch the lead to four, and the Flyers went into the locker room trailing 16-12.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Antwerp's Jagger Landers (10) blocks the shot of Marion Local's Tate Hess during Tuesday's Division IV regional semifinal at Bowling Green State University.
Knapke had 14 rebounds in the first half, but only two in the second. Ronnebaum and Hess each scored nine points for the Flyers, who only shot 25% from the field for the game and put up just four points in the final 13 minutes.
Brewer scored a game-high 14 for Antwerp.
With the loss, the Flyers' season ends at 22-5.
"Nobody had us picked to win our league, to win our district," Goettemoeller said. "I told these seniors, we've had a helluva freaking year. And we always knew it would be Antwerp, whoever got out of our district. We knew it would be Antwerp, because they're so good.
"So for us to get in this game and have a shot, we've had a tremendous season."
