Hiawatha, KS

A rematch from a year ago in the girls mid-season Hiawatha Invitational Tournament championship game between Jackson Heights and Marysville had a similar score, but switch the victors. In 2019 Jackson Heights took the HIT Championship knocking off Marysville 53-37, but the Bulldogs returned the favor in 2020 topping the Cobras 51-32 on Saturday.

On paper this game looked to be an intruiging one with the seventh seed Bulldogs facing the number one seeded Cobras, but my how much can change in one calendar year. Marysville and Jackson Heights traded buckets early as both teams struggled to settle in during the first quarter as Marysville would take a 7-5 lead into the second frame. Coach Amy Renyer got her girls attention as the defensive pressure heated up forcing eight second quarter Cobra turnovers, propelling the Bulldogs to dominate the quarter putting up twenty to Jackson Heights six. The Cobras struggled to put the ball through the hoop in the first half with leading scorer Senior Kylie Dohl having just two points and Junior Amaya Marlatt scoreless in the first sixteen minutes as Marysville led at the break 27-11.

In the third, the Cobras cleaned up some of the mistakes having just five turnovers while forcing four from the Bulldogs and cut the lead down to just nine. However, Marysville would not let the Cobras get any closer. Sami Bartles would score five of the Bulldog eight points in the frame as Marysville maintained a sixteen point advantage heading to the fourth. Trailing by 16, Jackson Heights attempted to mix things up defensively and started a full court press, while bringing in a few new players off the bench in freshman Kaylee Thompson and Rebekah Hutfles to try and put a dent into the lead. The Cobras would get the game within eleven in the frame, but that would be the closest they would get as Marysville put the Cobras away for good claiming the HIT title 51-32.

Marysville (5-6) came into the tournament with just a 2-6 record, but has proven in the eastern part of the state that they are a team that is looking to make a turn towards the postseason. Outscoring their opponents 166-95 in the three games played. They will look to build on this success as the second half of a very tough North Central Kansas League schedule resumes Tuesday.

Jackson Heights (9-2) saw their 9 game winning streak snapped in their lowest scoring outputs of the season. The Cobras are now averaging 25 turnovers a game in their last two contests while averaging just 33 points per game in those games. Even though the game was at hand mid-way through the fourth quarter. Jackson Heights seemed to find some rhythm and flow whislt having three freshman on the floor alongside Marlatt and Dohl that breathed life into a full court press, turning Marysville over 7 times in the final four minutes. The Cobras look to bounce back next Tuesday at home versus Jeff. County North in North East Kansas League action.

SCORING

Marysville - M. Ronnenbaum 12, S. Bartels 10, M. Roever 7, E. Dressman 7, E. Peschel 6, L. Franco 5, G. Lauer 4

Jackson Heights - K. Dohl 12, A. Marlatt 10, A. Brey 5, G. Roles 2, M. McMahon 1, K. Olberding 1, M. Kennedy 1