Top ranked Marshall narrowly escapes upset
Southern Sports & Travel
They’ve been atop the Class AA rankings all season long but the defending state champion Marshall Patriots were ever so close to seeing their season end last night in the Class AA State Tournament in Grenada.
Marshall needed all they could muster to hold off fifth ranked Trinity and take a narrow 47-44 win to advance to the semi-finals where they will face third ranked Central Private on Friday at 6:00.
Freshman point guard Dakota Dailey scored 12 points and senior Kevin Fitzpatrick added 11 as the Patriots improved to 34-3 on the season.
Marshall looked sharp in getting out to an 8-0 lead four minutes into the game.
Trinity wouldn’t get on the board until a Sky Logan basket at the 4:43 mark of the opening quarter and the Saints didn’t appear able to match up with the top ranked Patriots.
Marshall finished the opening quarter much as they started it, with a run. A 9-2 run enabled the Patriots to close the quarter on top 17-5 and with a ton of momentum.
(Above) Marshall's Aaron McAlexnader (#10) draws contact on a drive to the basket
That momentum was quickly drained as Trinity reeled off a 9-3 run sparked by consecutive offensive rebounds and put backs from junior Tanner Cage to get the Saints back into the game at 20-14 during the first two minutes of the second quarter.
Trinity pulled to within four points at 22-18 on a Trae McKenzie basket with 2:10 left in the half.
Marshall closed out an error prone second quarter by both teams with a slim 24-20 lead.
Trinity erupted in the third quarter. Trae McKenzie opened up with a basket to pull the Saints to within two points at 24-22 and after Marshall got a Peyton Lewis jump hook in the paint to move the lead back out to four at 26-22 Trinity popped off six straight points to take their first lead of the night at 28-26 with 5:06 remaining in the third quarter.
Trinity grabbed their biggest lead at 30-27 on a Jake Winston lay-in at the 3:38 mark but Marshall got a huge 3-point bucket from Kevin Fitzpatrick to knot the contest at 30-30.
The Patriots retook the lead at 32-30 on Brad Bennett’s fast break basket and a Dakota Dailey drive to the rim pushed the Marshall lead to 34-30 with 2:09 left in the quarter.
Marshall finished off a 9-0 run on Randy Love’s basket off an inbounds pass to extend the lead to 36-30.
Trinity stayed within striking distance at 39-34 to end the quarter.
(Above) Kevin Fitzpatrick (#1) of Marshall powers up for a shot attempt in the first half
The Saints managed to get to within three points at 43-40 on a Trae McKenzie bucket with just over four minutes left in regulation but Marshall looked to have the matter at hand as they got two Dakota Dailey free throws at the 2:01 mark to increase their lead to 45-40.
After Marshall missed the front end of a one and one Trinity’s Tanner Cage drained two free throws to cut the deficit to 45-42 with 43 seconds remaining and the Saints again got to within three points following Tip McKenzie’s lay-in with 33 seconds left.
Trinity got another shot at pulling even with Marshall after the Patriots turned the ball over with 17 seconds remaining in the game but a Tip McKenzie 3-point attempt fell short and Marshall held on to earn a tough 47-44 win.
Marshall was led by Dakota Dailey with 12 points, Kevin Fitzpatrick added 11, Peyton Lewis 7, Chase Ferrell and Brad Bennett 5 each, Aaron McAlexander 4, Randy Love 2 and Matt Rappa 1.
Tanner Cage led Trinity (23-12) with 12 points, Trae McKenzie added 10, Tip McKenzie and Jake Winston 8 each and Sky Logan 6.
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