Flyers win MAC opener

MARIA STEIN - In the first eight minutes, Marion Local gave up 13 points.

Over the next 22 minutes, the Flyers allowed 12.

Marion tightened up its defense, consistently got to the foul line and continued to show growth on offense in a 46-36 win over Versailles in the Midwest Athletic Conference girls basketball opener at the Hanger on Tuesday.

"It was definitely a MAC battle, both teams were very physical, both team were aggressive," Marion coach Beth Streib said. "I thought offensively, we were a little more consistent than we had been at the beginning of the year. Our offense was pretty evenly scored throughout the quarters and amongst players, so that was good. Defensively, we did pretty well containing their quick guards and then slowing their post play."

The Tigers took the lead midway through the first quarter and tacked on five points in the final minute for a 13-8 advantage at the start of the second. Chloe Ronnebaum cut into the deficit 15 seconds into the second quarter with a long jumper from the right side and Lindsay Koenig added a free throw before slipping out to the right wing for a kickout three that put Marion (3-1, 1-0 MAC) ahead with 6:06 left in the half.

Versailles (0-4, 0-1 MAC) retook the lead on a pair of free throws, but the Tigers' foul trouble started to catch up with them. Avae Unrast drew a foul after a steal and went to the line for a one-and-one with 4:41 left in the half, sinking both to put the Flyers ahead for good.

Unrast drove the lane 35 seconds later, got another foul called, and hit two more free throws, and Koenig added two buckets on assists by Chloe Ronnebaum, the first on a back cut under the basket and the second a short jumper that made it 22-15 with 2:35 to go.

"We talked about doubling in the post, forcing the guards left a little more, and having our help side there a little quicker as well," Streib said. "The girls responded after the first quarter and stepped up defensively. That's what got us the lead at halftime, which is always a good thing."

Marion went into the break with a five-point lead, and Unrast got a steal and then a layup along the baseline to extend the lead 25 seconds into the third. The Flyers didn't score from the field for another five minutes, but in that span, Versailles racked up six more fouls.

Ronnebaum drew a shooting foul in the final 30 seconds for the Tigers' seventh of the half, putting them in the bonus for the entire fourth quarter.

"Our guards attacked more north and south instead of side-to-side as much," Streib said. "When you do that and you're going more to the rim, they're more apt to call those fouls. But the guards taking care of the ball, more ball reversals, got the defense more out of position also."

Meanwhile, Marion's defense kept Versailles without a bucket for 13 minutes, from Lexi Magoto's make with seven seconds left in the first quarter to a driving layup by Cassie Leach with 3:06 to go in the third.

Katey Litten hit a shot just outside the paint a minute later to make it 28-21, but the Tigers only mustered three free throws in the next eight minutes as the Flyers built up the lead.

Versailles finally scored a flurry of points in the final two minutes, starting with two layups in 30 seconds by Jenna Dirksen and followed by makes by Litten, Leach, and Taylor Wagner, but it was too little, too late. The Flyers went 9-for-10 from the charity stripe in the final 3:11 and got a transition layup from Stella Huelsman to close out the game.

Marion finished 24-of-32 from the free throw line and 10-of-35 from the field. Unrast went 10-of-10 from the line and scored 14 points, while Ronnebaum and Koenig each added 10. Unrast, Koenig and Huelsman also picked up three steals apiece.

"We just talked about ball movement, more ball reversals, being more patient and taking the best shot we can possibly get," Streib said. "In the first few games, our shot selection hasn't always been the best, and we want to take a higher percentage shot if possible."

The Flyers also beat Versailles 10 days earlier, earning a 42-39 victory in the consolation bracket of the Kewpee Tip-off Classic at Bath High School.

Marion travels to Delphos on Thursday to play St. John's in another MAC game.