Lady Pats upset Oak Hill, Dailey gets win number 1,000

Southern Sports & Travel

The Marshall Lady Patriots put together a 12-5 late fourth quarter run to upset third ranked Oak Hill 53-51 on Saturday afternoon in West Point, Mississippi and in doing so gave Marshall head coach Craig Dailey his 1,000^th win.

Eilzabeth Skelton’s driving basket with 9 seconds remaining proved to be the game winner and the junior was brimming with excitement following the contest. “It made me excited to know that we won Coach Dailey’s 1,000^th game and we were equally excited about the opportunity to do that for him,” said Skelton. “We have bragging rights that the girls team won it for him.”

Dailey has been at the helm at Marshall since 2005 but his time spent at Delta Academy was one of the most successful in MAIS/MPSA history. Dailey won nine state championships in his twelve seasons as head coach of Delta’s basketball program, six girls titles and three boys.

The fiery head coach won his first two state championships in the same season. Both the boys and girls squads at Delta won the Class A State Championship in 1998-99.

Marshall’s back-to-back boys state championships the past two seasons gave Dailey his 10^th and 11^th state titles and the Patriots are the hands down favorites to win another championship this season.

Dailey’s 1,000^th win didn’t look like it would happen in the ladies matchup as third ranked Oak Hill threatened to pull away early in the second quarter.

After Marshall’s Blake Martin canned a 3-pointer from the wing to narrow Oak Hill’s lead to 11-9 to start the second quarter the Lady Raiders got hot.

(Above) Marshall's Elizabeth Skelton (#5) drives past Oak Hill's Anna Ready (#22)

Rachel Herndon’s offensive rebound and put back at the 4:31 mark capped an 11-3 run that pushed Oak Hill’s lead to 22-12 but Marshall started chipping away at the deficit.

Blake Martin nailed another 3-pointer and Elizabeth Skelton’s bucket in the paint pulled the Lady Patriots to within five points at 22-17 with 2:19 left in the half.

Following an Oak Hill free throw Marshall answered by converting on 3 of 4 free throws on their next two trips down the floor to trim the deficit to two points at 22-20.

Oak Hill would get an offensive rebound and put back from Sydney Holton to take a 24-20 lead into intermission.  

Oak Hill stretched their lead back to six points at 28-22 two minutes into the third quarter on consecutive baseline inbounds plays from Maegan Ellis and Lauren Billington but the Lady Raiders couldn’t shake Marshall.

Elizabeth Skelton drilled a 3-pointer from the wing and at the 4:04 mark of the quarter Blake Martin’s lay-in would knot the game at 29-29.

With the contest tied at 31-31 Oak Hill ran off six straight points to grab a 37-31 advantage with 1:35 to go in the quarter but an Elizabeth Skelton bucket inside of one minute kept Marshall within striking distance at 37-33 to close the quarter.

Oak Hill took a six point lead once more at 39-33 as Sarah Dill converted in the paint to start the fourth quarter but that would be the Lady Raider’s largest spread for the remainder of the contest.

Oak Hill's Sydney Holton (in white) gets pressure from Marshall's Katerria Moore (#10)

Marshall pulled to within three points at 46-43 on a Skelton driving basket with 3:33 remaining in regulation.

Oak Hill answered with a Maegan Ellis bucket to give the Lady Raiders a little breathing room at 48-43 but it wouldn’t last long.

Skelton drained a 3-pointer and while doing so an off the ball foul was accessed on Oak Hill. Blake Martin then hit two free throws to tie the game at 48-48 with 1:53 left and Marshall would take a 49-48 lead with 45 seconds remaining as Kara Novarese hit on one of two free throws.

With 27 seconds remaining a double foul was accessed and both teams headed to the charity stripe.

Elizabeth Skelton sank two free throws to give Marshall a three point cushion at 51-48 and on the Lady Raider end Bet Langley hit one of two to make the deficit 51-49.

Oak Hill would pull even at 51-51 on two Anna Ready free throws at the 20 seconds mark setting up Elizabeth Skelton’s  driving basket with 9 seconds remaining in regulation to give Marshall a 53-51 lead.

Skelton, who was fouled on the play, missed her free throw attempt but Oak Hill was unable to convert on their end in the waning seconds.

Blake Martin (#33 photo right) led tenth ranked Marshall (8-4) with a game high 19 points, Elizabeth Skelton added 18 (16 in the 2nd half), Kara Novarese 12 and Wesleyann Ray and Katerria Moore 2 each.

Oak Hill (8-2) was led by Maegan Ellis with 16 points.
Next up for Marshall is a District 1-AA opening home date with Carroll while Oak Hill hosts District 2-AA foe Immanuel Christian.

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Post Game with Marshall Head Coach Craig Dailey