Hardwood Heroes
Meigs Lady Marauders fall to Portsmouth in sectional finals
By: Alex Michalec
Posted on:
With a chance to repeat Sectional Titles in back to back years, the Meigs Girls took the 90 minute drive to Portsmouth where they met their match against the high flying Trojans.
The Marauders seeded at 17th were looking to spoil the 8th seed, but they knew it would not be an easy task. After Wednesday’s demolishing of Oak Hill, Meigs head coach Heath Hudson knew their Sectional matchup was going to be more competitive.
“We have to do the same things we do every year. We have to eliminate turnovers, make good shot selections, execute on offense, take care of the ball and usually that’s what gets it done.”
Back and forth through all four quarters the game was more than competitive. Meigs got down early in the first quarter, but not without showing some grit first. Tough buckets from senior guard Jennifer Parker had them trailing only by five. Quarter two was quite the opposite. The marauders mixed fire with feisty, constantly hustling to every loose ball and plowing downhill into the heart of the Trojan defense. Even in hostile territory, Marauder fans showed out, enabling them to a 27-25 lead heading into halftime.
Both teams took their play to another level in quarter three. Trading bucket after bucket, it was the complete team play from Meigs and the individual guard play from Portsmouth freshman Sienna Allen. The flashy guard stole the show Saturday afternoon finishing with 34 points, including ten in the third. She outmatched the Marauders with her combination of speed and skill. A 41-40 lead going into the final eight minutes made the last quarter an absolute thriller.
Although their fight throughout the entirety of the game was honorable, Sienna Allen and the rest of the Trojans proved too much for the Marauders. Even on the final play of the game as junior Andrea Mahr had a chance to hit a game winning three, Sienna Allen struck once again. Allen blocked the shot and diminished all hope of a comeback as Portsmouth cruised to a 55-53 victory and advanced to the next round. Hudson spoke on the final play after the game.
“We had a set play and we did the exact opposite. Basketball is just one of those games you have to adjust to what happens.”
Yet all hope is not lost for the Marauders. They will lose starting guard Jennifer Parker and center Rylee Lisle, but every other player with significant minutes will return. This includes juniors Delana Wright, Andrea Mahr, Maggie Musser, and last week’s hero of the week, Keaghan Wolfe.
Albeit a loss, the Meigs Marauders can keep their heads held high and will surely be back to compete for the TVC-Ohio title next year.