Marshall balanced attack too much for Hillcrest
Southern Sports & Travel
The Marshall Patriots used a 13-2 opening third quarter run and had five players score in double digits in a 74-56 win over Hillcrest in the Overall semi-finals last night in Clinton. Mississippi.
With the win Marshall, the Class AA State Champions, improved to 38-3 and will take on Class AAA powerhouse Jackson Prep in the championship game today at 3:30.
Hillcrest led throughout the opening quarter and Marshall wouldn’t grab their first lead until the 7:11 mark of the second quarter on a Peyton Lewis offensive rebound and put back to give the Pats a 15-14 lead.
Marshall’s lead was short lived as Hillcrest ripped off a 7-1 run to take their biggest lead at 22-15 with 4:41 remaining in the first half.
(Above) Peyton Lewis (#22) of Marshall launches a jump hook in the 1st half
Hillcrest would enjoy their last lead of the game at 24-22 with 2:47 left in the half as Marshall produced a 17-2 run fueled by the 3-point shooting of Brad Bennett and Peyton Lewis.
A Brad Bennett 3-pointer from the wing at the 1:12 mark capped the run to give Marshall an eight point cushion at 32-24 but Hillcrest would close the quarter with a Kenneth Davis basket and Grant Baker’s offensive rebound and put back to trim the deficit to 32-28 at the halfway point of the contest.
Marshall erupted in the opening minutes of the second half with a 13-2 run to take their biggest lead at 45-30 with 4:55 left in the third quarter.
Hillcrest managed to cut the deficit to ten points at 52-42 at close of the quarter and a Grant Baker bucket on a Hillcrest fast break got the Cougars to within seven points at 54-47 just one minute into the final quarter.
(Above) Dakota Dailey (#12) of Marshall drives for 2 of his 16 points on the night
Hillcrest would get no closer as Marshall finished the fourth quarter with a 20-9 run to advance to today’s Overall Championship final.
Marshall was led by junior Peyton Lewis with 19 points and 10 rebounds, freshman Dakota Dailey added 16, Brad Bennett 13, Chase Ferrell and Aaron McAlexander had 10 each and Kevin Fitzpatrick 6.
Lee Ogletree led Hillcrest (30-7) with 17 points and 10 rebounds, Grant Baker added 13, Kenneth Davis 12, Robert Johnson 10 and Curtis Westerfield and Remarcus Stalling 2 apiece.
