“We’re by no means a well-oiled machine but we’re making progress” Coach Terry Birdsong said in his post-game radio comments, happy with the battle the Marshals showed in their 63-56 win over Greenwood.
The Marshals led from start to finish with the exception of two ties, after jumping out to a 6-0 lead on baskets to start the game by Quinn Smith, Cole Mills and Colby Schroader. The ties came in the first quarter at eight and 10 points and the lead was 14-12 to end the quarter.
Kaden Driver’s 3-pointer opened the second quarter on a 17-12 lead and his second three of the quarter put the Marshals up by nine points at 24-15. Their largest lead of 11 points in the quarter was cut back to seven on a couple of 3-pointers by Greenwood’s leading scorer Marc Grant and it was a 2-point game at halftime at 31-29 on Mason Thornhill’s buzzer-beating three.
Marshall County led by five points three different times in the third quarter before stretching it out to eight at 45-37 to end it on a three by Mills who dropped in 12 of the Marshals 14 points in the quarter.
Mills scored another eight in the fourth quarter to lead the Marshals with 24 points. A free throw from Riley Smith gave them their largest lead of 12 points at 54-42 and his efforts battling under the goal that led to a great second-effort shot to hold a 10 point lead at 57-47 was rewarded with the loudest cheers of the night before the Marshals closed out the 63-54 victory.
Zion Harmon dressed out for the game but didn’t get on the floor. Birdsong said the senior hasn’t practiced in a month due to his heel injury but may see some playing time in Sunday’s Hoopfest game when the Marshals will be looking for a win over Thomas Nelson in the 4:00 game. The two teams played earlier this season on Jan. 5, the Marshals taking that one 77-54 behind 28 points from Harmon.
Scores from the rest of Saturday’s Hoopfest games:
Murray 57, Madisonville-North Hopkins 49
Bardstown 81, Tilghman 78 (overtime)
Louisville Ballard 72, McCracken County 59
Bowling Green 70, Fern Creek 54
Greenwood 12 17 8 19 – 56
Marshall 14 17 14 18 – 63
Greenwood: Grant 20, Brown 13, Stinnett 12, Thornhill 6, Howard 4, Buchanon 1
Marshall: Mills 24, R. Smith 12, Q. Smith 11, Driver 6, Schroader 5, Miller 5
