For the first time in 32 years, the Lady Marshals basketball has advanced to the Final Four of the KHSAA Sweet Sixteen. Their last semi-final appearance came in 1989 under Head Coach Howard Beth, father to current coach Aaron Beth. In that 1989 semi-final game, the Lady Marshals lost by one point, 45-44, to George Rogers Clark.
The Lady Marshals beat Bethlehem 58-51 to advance, avenging their first loss of the season to the Lady Banshees who finish the season 26-5.
A fitting semi-final opponent awaits on Saturday when the Lady Marshals meet Henderson County (20-4) who beat Russell 64-53 in their quarterfinal game. It was the Lady Colonels they were scheduled to take the floor against in the first round of last year’s state tournament before it was halted due to COVID-19 concerns. They met earlier this season season with the Lady Marshals winning 46-45.
Saturday’s game is set for 2:00/1:00 Central Time following the first semi-final between Sacred Heart and Anderson County at 11:00/10:00 CST.
Region 1 Player of the Year, Cayson Conner, led the Lady Marshals with 24 points in the win. Conner was 7-for-8 at the free throw line and 4-for-4 in the closing minute. Halle Langhi had 15 points and 12 rebounds, the junior was 8-for-10 at the line and also a perfect 4-for-4 in the final minute of the game.
In post-game comments about the play of his senior point guard, Coach Beth said, “Cayson steps up when she needs to – her confidence in herself and her ability can take over a game.”
Langhi scored the first six points of the game for the Lady Marshals for a 6-4 lead. Bethlehem senior Amelia Hodges hit her first of two 3-pointers to put the Lady Banshees on top 7-6 and it was the start of a first half with five lead changes and six ties.
Trailing 23-21 in the second quarter, Layne Pea hit a three to give the Lady Marshals the lead. Hodges tied the game at 26-26 and Bethlehem took a 28-26 lead at halftime on free throws by freshman Carli Thurmond.
Both teams finished the first half with three players with two fouls – Conner, Langhi and Sophie Galloway for the Lady Marshals and Hodges, Thurmond and Ella Thompson for Bethlehem.
The second half opened on five straight points by Conner to give them a 31-28 lead. A basket by Thompson who drew the foul and converted the free throw tied the game at 31, the first of three ties before a final bucket by Conner put the Lady Marshals up 37-35 going into the fourth quarter.
A 40-37 lead for Bethlehem was tied on a big three by Langhi with five minutes to go. Thompson and Langhi exchanged baskets again for a tie game at 42. A three by Thurmond with 2:37 to go put the Lady Banshees back up by three points and their lead was still three at 47-44 before Conner’s four straight points gave them a 48-47 lead with a minute to go.
The senior who was fighting for her season, then came up with a steal and was fouled – hit both at the line – grabbed a rebound off a miss and dropped it back in. Conner converted two more at the foul line in between four made at the stripe by Langhi to play on Saturday for a change at the state title game on Sunday.
Langhi said in post game comments, her thoughts on her free throws at the end of the game, “Don’t miss!”
Beth said Langhi’s three was “huge” that tied the game in the fourth quarter. He added that the team was much more relaxed from the beginning.
Marshall 10 16 11 21 – 58
Bethlehem 14 14 7 16 – 51
Marshall: Conner 24, Langhi 15, Driver 6, Pea 5, Jezik 5, Galloway 3
Bethlehem: Thompson 20, Hodges 12, Thurmond 7, Spalding 4, Filiatreau 4
Marshall: FG 17/43, 3 Pt 6/16 (Driver 2, Pea 1, Conner 1, Jezik 1, Langhi 1), FT 18/22 (Conner 7/8, Langhi 8/10), Reb 28 (Langhi 12), PF 12, TO 9
Bethlehem: FG 18/55, 3 Pt 4/16 (Hodges 2, Thompson 1, Thurmond 1), FT 11/13 (Thompson 7/9, Thurmond 4/4), Reb 38 (Thompson 7), PF 17, TO 10
KHSAA/Les Nicholson
KHSAA/Les Nicholson
KHSAA/Les Nicholson