Cardinals rally to defeat Flyers

NEW BREMEN - It was your typical Midwest Athletic Conference Friday night grinder, one of those every-possession-counts affairs.

New Bremen was able to grab the momentum late in the fourth quarter and hang on for a 46-42 victory over Marion Local at Cardinal Gymnasium.

In a game where the defenses dominated, there were a few rays of offense in the first quarter. The lead changed hands four times in the opening period before the Flyers were able to close with a 6-2 run, including four points from Peyton Otte, to take a 15-13 lead after eight minutes.

Marion opened the second quarter with a 9-2 run to take a 24-15 lead with 4:15 left in the half.

But the Cardinals answered with a run of their own. Even with missing four free throws during the stretch, New Bremen was able to score seven unanswered points to shrink the deficit to two late in the half.

"Obviously, it was a close game throughout. We got a nine-point lead in the second quarter and we gave them easy baskets to allow them back in the game," Marion Local coach Kurt Goettemoeller said. "That was huge in a low possession grind-it-out kind of game to give them an opportunity where a nine-point lead becomes two right before half."

New Bremen limited the Flyers to just a single bucket in the final four minutes of the first half, and then gave up just five more field goals in all of the second half.

For Cardinal coach Cory Stephens, it was that defensive effort that got things moving for his squad.

"That's what we talk about all the time. When you play defense well, the ball goes in," he said. "It's a miracle, but it happens. So we always have to be focused on defense, and let the offense take care of itself."

The Flyer defense was up to the task as well in the third quarter and did not surrender the lead until Dan Homan sank a pair of free throws for a 36-35 Cardinal advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

Ben Knapke hit a bucket on the Marion Local's first possession of the fourth quarter to regain the lead for the visitors. However, Reece Busse answered at the other end, and New Bremen would not trail again.

The Flyers kept the game within a single possession for most of the fourth quarter, but Dave Homan hit one of two free throws with 55 seconds left in the game for a 43-39 Cardinal lead.

After Marion missed a three-pointer at the other end, Dave Homan scored again on a layup to pretty much put the game on ice.

"Our defense was pretty good tonight," Goettemoeller said, "but with our lack of margin for error, because we don't score real well, the few mistakes we make on defense get magnified. We were good tonight on defense, but we needed to be great."

Marion was also hampered with foul troubles. Midway through the fourth quarter, four different Flyers had accumulated four personal fouls each.

"We made a major point in the locker room tonight, we have to learn from this -- the coaches and the players," Goettemoeller said. "Foul trouble was a big deal, and we need to recognize how the game is being called and stop fouling."

Making just half of the 24 free throws they were awarded, the Cardinals did not do much to take advantage of the Marion fouls.

"Twelve for 24 from the line, that's not going to win you a lot of games," Stephens said. "In the fourth quarter alone, we were 3-for-8. We need to focus on making free throws late in the game when we're tired.

Busse and David Homan led the way with 15 and 11 points respectively for the Cardinals who improve to 5-2 in the MAC and 12-5 overall.

"This is a big win when it comes to our tournament draw on Sunday, because Marion is in our sectional as well," Stephens said.

New Bremen will have one more opportunity to impress the tournament seed voters as the Cardinals travel to Fort Jennings tonight.

Alex Eyink paced the Flyers with 15 points. Marion slipped to 9-8 and 4-3 in the MAC, and the Flyers will host Spencerville tonight and Parkway next Friday.