Garrett Taylor of Marysville fires a shot against Bishop Watterson Monday afternoon. Taylor led MHS with 13 points during a 55-39 loss. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
The third game in four days proved to be problematic for Marysville High School’s boys varsity basketball squad on Monday.
The Monarchs hosted Olentangy Berlin and North Union respectively on Friday and Saturday.
As such, they had very little turnaround time to rest or prepare for the Eagles of Columbus Bishop Watterson.
“Our third game in four days was a grind,” said MHS head coach Ryan Grose after the Monarchs’ 55-39 setback to the Eagles on Monday afternoon.
“We didn’t respond defensively to a lot of their open shots and we missed some good looks we had at the basket.
“We also did not match Bishop Watterson’s physicality.”
The game began as a more finesse, three-point contest.
Marysville’s Riley Karnes drilled a three-ball, but Watterson tallied trifectas from Jacob Hoying and Noah Grayem.
Grayem’s shot gave the Eagles a 15-10 lead midway through the opening quarter.
Evan Brown of Marysville joined in the long-ball antics.
His shot from beyond the arc pulled the Monarchs to within 15-13 at the end of the stanza.
During the second set, Marysville put up some offerings that normally drop into the basket.
On this day, however, those attempts just weren’t moving the scoreboard.
Watterson climbed to a 21-13 lead with 4 ½ minutes left until halftime.
Jack Christian broke MHS’ dry spell with a pair of charity tosses.
A traditional three-point play by 6-6 Cole Rhett and a trifecta from Owen Samenuk, however, elevated the Eagles to a 27-15 spread.
Brown got MHS back on the scoreboard with a three-ball, but Samenuk responded with another shot from downtown.
Christian was fouled on the low block and made one of his two ensuing charity tosses.
His free throw narrowed Marysville’s gap to 30-19 with 58 ticks on the timer.
The Eagles came up short on a shot.
Christian worked the clock down to scant seconds before swishing a jumper that pulled the Monarchs (11-8 overall) to within 30-21 at the turn.
Watterson cooled off its three-point parade early in the second quarter.
The Eagles, though, ramped it up once the second half began.
Grayem and Sam Intihar both tickled the twine on three-balls that gave the visitors a 40-28 spread with 2:25 remaining in the third set.
Jason Moore tallied a basket along the baseline and Christian put in two more free throws for MHS.
Watterson led 40-32 as both teams swapped empty possessions over the next minute.
The Eagles worked the clock down for a last shot.
Noah Gruver missed a Watterson shot, but no Monarchs were around to block him out.
Gruver rebounded his own miss and scored, sending Bishop Watterson into the final quarter with a 42-32 advantage.
The Eagles maintained a double-digit lead for the first portion of the last period.
MHS’ Garrett Taylor stepped out beyond the three-point arc and fired toward the basket.
He hit nothing but net as the Monarchs pulled to within 47-39.
That was as close as Marysville (which will host Olentangy for Homecoming on Thursday) got the rest of the way.
The Eagles played a much more physical game on the boards, limiting MHS to one shot per possession late in the contest.
In the meantime, Intihar and Grayem scored buckets to stretch Watterson’s lead to 52-39.
Rhett muscled up a stickand then tallied Bishop Watterson’s final point on a free throw.
Bishop Watterson
Grayem 5-1-13, Rhett 5-2-12, Samenuk 3-2-11, Intihar 3-0-7, Hoying 2-0-6, Malagreca 2-0-4, Lewis 1-0-2. Totals 21-5-55.
Three-point goals: Samenuk 3, Grayem 2, Hoying 2, Intihar 1.
Marysville
Taylor 5-1-13, Christian 1-6-8, Brown 2-0-6, Karnes 2-0-6, Moore 1-0-2, Focht 1-0-2, Barlow 1-0-2, G. Johnson 0-0-0, Fourman 0-0-0. Totals 13-7-39.
Three-point goals: Taylor 2, Brown 2, Karnes 2.
Both of MHS’ jayvee teams lost during preliminary games.
The JV A dropped a 46-44 verdict when the Eagles banked in a shot at the buzzer.
Connor Smith led the MHS jayvees with 12 points and Nick Wever added 11.
MHS’ JV B team was tied with Watterson, 35-35, at the end of regulation.
A new COVID-related rule for this year only is that freshman and JV games are decided on “sudden death.”
The first team that scores in the extra session is the victor.
Marysville lost, 37-35.
Shaun Xie led the B team with seven points.
Griffin Johnson (5) of MHS goes up for a shot attempt against Bishop Watterson on Monday. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)