Article by T Ray Henry, Photos by Angie Jones
On Saturday, February 7th, the Marshall High School boys basketball team hosted the Okaw Valley High School Timberwolves in a non-conference game inside McNary Gymnasium. These two schools were scheduled to play one another in the Cumberland Thanksgiving Tournament back in November, but the game was canceled due to the early winter storm in the area. With the matchup canceled, Okaw Valley agreed to travel to Marshall for a regular season contest. Marshall came into the game with a record of 10-12, while Okaw Valley came in with a record of 8-16.
The Lions’ primary attention on defense focused on 6’5” center and Timberwolves leading scorer Wyatt Hildebrandt. On the offensive end, the Lions had to solve Okaw Valley’s 3-2 zone defense that was the Lions’ first experience with length at the top of the zone. As far as both challenges were concerned, Hildebrandt was held in check all game long, scoring 6 points. The Lions offensive output, coming in off an emotional ride the night before with Senior Night activities, then playing a physical conference game against Newton, was certainly going to be a factor, and without the finest pep band in Lincoln Land and the Lions’ cheerleading squad, these Lions were going to have to create their own energy throughout this ballgame.
In the opening quarter, Marshall and Okaw Valley played to an 11-11 stalemate. Scoring for the Lions in the stanza were Payton McGuire with 6 points on two three-pointers, Tucker Osborn, who continued to dial in the three with one in the quarter, and Zach Jones, who scored on a field goal inside.
In the second quarter, the two sides played to another stalemate, but Marshall had to once again scramble at the buzzer to gain a tie. Garrett Pugh led the Lions with 6 points in the quarter on two field goals and two free throws. Liam Keim got into the scoring column with a field goal and two free throws good for 4 points, and Payton McGuire scored on a left-handed reverse side layup after Tommy Sheehy made a hustle play by running up the floor and tipping an offensive carom over to McGuire, whose bucket just beat the halftime buzzer. At the break, the teams were all tied up at 23.
In the third quarter, Tucker Osborn hit a big three-pointer at the buzzer to turn a two-point Marshall lead into a five-point Marshall lead at the end of three (41-36). Osborn led the Big Red with 5 points in the quarter as he added two free throws to his triple at the buzzer. Garrett Pugh kept his free throw shooting clean by sinking four in the period. Liam Keim sank a free throw and scored a field goal good for 3 points, and Zach Jones scored an and-one for 3 points.
In the final quarter of action, Marshall did just enough to stay out in front as Payton McGuire, Tommy Sheehy, and Liam Keim scored one field goal apiece, and McGuire sank 8 free throws for Marshall to take a 55-48 win over Okaw Valley and improve their record to 11-12 on the season.
Payton McGuire led the team with 18 points, Garrett Pugh finished with 13, and Liam Keim had a career-high 9 points. Tucker Osborn had 8 points, Zach Jones 5, and Tommy Sheehy 2.
Marshall returns to action this Tuesday, February 10th when the Lions travel to Notre Dame de La Salette Academy in Georgetown for a non-conference doubleheader. La Salette is currently 21-4 on the season, so the Lions finish the final full week of the regular season with three games this week before they play in the season finale next Tuesday in Robinson.
Liam Keim scored a career-high 9 points against Okaw Valley
Zach Jones (32) goes up high over the Okaw Valley defense to score for Marshall
Tucker Osborn hit a big triple at the end of the third quarter to give the Lions a 5-point lead heading to the fourth
Payton McGuire scored to tie it up at the half after Tommy Sheehy tipped over an offensive rebound
