Marysville’s Phillip Hughes puts the ball in the basket against Bellefontaine on Tuesday. Hughes scored eight points during the Monarchs’ 68-54 loss.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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Marysville High School boys basketball coach Ryan Grose could not hide his feelings after Tuesday’s 68-54 loss to Bellefontaine.
He said what is the most disappointing about that and several other Monarch losses this season is “stuff we work on every day in practice” not coming to fruition during games.
“They’re not related to basketball skills,” he said after his squad dropped to 5-7 for the season. “It’s diving on the floor for a loose ball, getting a rebound or sitting down and playing consistent defense.”
Grose said it’s not a matter of effort.
“We play hard, but we’re not finishing plays,” he said, “and until everybody buys into that, we’re going to continue to struggle.
“You finish plays by getting the loose balls or rebounds and playing defense.”
The Monarchs and Chieftains (who are now 7-5) played on an even keel during the first half as the contest was knotted at 13 after the opening quarter and at 25 by halftime.
MHS (which will host Westland on Friday) trailed 13-7 with less than two minutes left in the first quarter.
Bodie Eberhart hit a jumper and Phillip Hughes scored twice in the paint to tie the game at 13.
Jack Christian gave Marysville its first lead with a jumper and the Monarchs later took a 20-17 edge on Jarrett Karnes’ three-pointer.
Hughes scored on the low block for a 22-19 margin, but Bellefontaine’s Jack Clement swished three of his game-high 25 points for a 22-all tie.
The Chieftains held a 25-23 lead during the second quarter’s waning minutes before they mistakenly scored a bucket on MHS’ end of the court.
The basket was credited to Jacob Ranker, as he was the closest Monarch to the play.
It also sent the game into the turn with the 25-25 stalemate.
Ranker’s reverse layup on the baseline and Hughes’ tip on an offensive rebound gave MHS a 29-27 lead early in the third quarter.
Eberhart’s basket notched the Monarchs’ final lead of the night at 31-28.
Donovan Dinovo buried one of Bellefontaine’s seven three-pointers on the night and Spencer George tallied a traditional three-point play.
Marshall Francisco followed suit with a field goal and foul shot that tied the game at 34 for the Monarchs.
George scored on an offensive rebound to give the Chieftains a 36-34 lead.
A trifecta from Eberhart pulled MHS to within one at 38-37 with slightly more than three minutes to play in the quarter.
Clement hit a basket and Dinovo knocked down another three-ball as Bellefontaine began its surge.
George, who scored 24 points for the game, and Clement again scored.
All of a sudden, the visitors held a 47-39 lead.
Eberhart found the basket after several exchanges in possession, but Clement’s three-ball sent the Chieftains into the final quarter with a 50-41 lead.
George scored in the paint for a 52-41 advantage and Bellefontaine’s lead never dipped below double digits the rest of the way.
George scored several more baskets, including one that gave Bellefontaine its biggest lead at 68-48.
Karnes sank a three-pointer for the game’s final basket.
Bellefontaine
Clement 9-4-25, George 10-4-24, Jackson 3-0-8, Dinovo 2-2-8, Lyons 0-2-2, Parsley 0-1-1, Davis-Hughes 0-0-0, Boy 0-0-0, Heft 0-0-0, Sterling 0-0-0. Totals 24-13-68.
Three-point goals: Clement 3, Jackson 2, Dinovo 2.
Marysville
Eberhart 7-0-15, Karnes 3-1-9, Ranker 3-3-9, Hughes 4-0-8, Francisco 2-3-7, Christian 2-1-5, Sefring 0-1-1, Colopy 0-0-0, Schaeffer 0-0-0, Mills 0-0-0. Totals 21- 9-54.
Three-point goals: Karnes 2, Eberhart 1.
Marysville’s junior varsity and freshmen teams scored victories over Bellefontaine.
The jayvees won 66-35, as Garrett Taylor led with 21 points.
Ryan Barlow scored 16 and Ryan Kern added 10 as the freshmen edged the Chieftains, 50-49.