Not only did the Marshals beat the last unbeaten team left in the state, they also ended a 14-game losing streak to McCracken County on Tuesday when they knocked off the Mustangs 57-53 in a boisterous Reed Conder Gymnasium.
Their last win was back in 2016 on December 9 when they won 54-44.
Wade Moore was outstanding with a 29-point night, Alex Staples was perfect at the line and Chase Binkley and company stepped up defensively on McCracken County’s leading scorer Jack McCune.
“I feel like that’s one that we earned”, Head Coach Sawyer Donohoo said to WCBL. “We knew it was going to be like that. We told them before the game whether we’re up 10 or down 10 you’ve just got to play through it. Play through the highs and lows.”
After an opening 3-pointer by McCune for the Mustangs on their first possession, the Marshals went on a 9-0 run on a basket by Staples, a 3-pointer from Trey Wall, a couple of free throws from Staples and a bucket by Moore. They would not trail again until midway through the third quarter.
McCracken County tied it up twice late in the first quarter at 13 and 15 but a free throw from Tommy Robertson gave the Marshals a 16-15 lead to end the quarter.
Moore scored 14 of the Marshals 16 second quarter points, the senior doing it all…a spinning layup while drawing the foul, free throws and a 3-pointer to give the Marshals a 32-28 halftime lead.
Moore scored the first three points for the Marshals at the line to start the second half on a 35-30 lead. Jonathan Venable tied the game up at 38 and at the midway point of the quarter, a 3-pointer from Carson Purvis gave the Mustangs their first lead of the night at 41-40. The lead stretched to six points but the Marshals reined it back in and trailed 46-43 heading into the fourth quarter.
Down by four at 49-45, Hunter Wallace hit a timely three to cut it to one point and free throws from Staples put the Marshals back up 50-49. Staples gave the Marshals a three point lead at 54-51 with 30.2 seconds remaining and up by two points at 55-53 with 2.6 left on the clock, Moore dropped in two free throws to seal the win.
“We feel like we have the deepest team”, Donohoo said. “We have guys that can play and everybody seems to step up when they’re called upon.”
The Marshals were 20-of-25 at the free throw line led by Staples who was a perfect 8-of-8 and Moore who was 8-of-11.
The Marshals improve to 13-3 and will host Graves County on Friday.
Marshall County 16 16 11 14 – 57
McCracken County 15 13 18 7 – 53
Marshall County (13-3): Wade Moore 29, Alex Staples 12, Hunter Wallace 6, Trey Wall 3, Orrin Phelps 3, Logan Davis 3, Tommy Robertson 1
McCracken County (14-1): Jack McCune 16, Jack Bradley 11, Carson Purvis 11, Jordan Bridges 7, Jonathan Venable 7, Grayson Parish 1
Marshall 57, McCracken 53 – Jan. 10, 2022
