MHS’ Jack Christian (4) is fouled while going to the basket Tuesday at Worthington Kilbourne. The Monarchs fell, 50-41. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
Marysville High School boys basketball coach Ryan Grose didn’t mince words after Tuesday’s 50-41 loss at Worthington Kilbourne.
“We played passively during the first half and missed a lot of shots we normally make,” he said after the Monarchs slipped to 4-6 on the season.
Senior guard Jack Christian, who scored only four points during the first three periods, went on a run and nearly helped the Monarchs rally for the victory.
Christian poured in 15 markers during the final eight minutes, but Marysville’s effort fell short.
“I told Jack at the start of the fourth quarter that we needed him to be more aggressive,” said Grose. “He gave us a chance.”
Christian’s trifecta with a minute to play pulled the Monarchs to within 44-41.
The Wolves began bleeding the clock and forced MHS to foul.
Free throws by Luke Wolford, Cayden Dougherty and Ian Schupp preserved Kilbourne’s triumph.
Neither team set the world on fire during the first two quarters.
Both squads compiled numerous empty possessions during the early stages of the opening set.
A basket by MHS’ Garrett Taylor tied the game at 5-5 with a little more than three minutes left in the stanza.
Riley Karnes later gave the Monarchs an 8-6 edge with a trifecta.
A pair of baskets by Ian Schupp, though, sent the Wolves into the second period with a 10-8 lead.
Taylor’s next bucket tied the game at 10-all.
Empty possessions by both teams dominated the next several minutes.
Kilbourne climbed to a 17-10 lead before Karnes nailed another three-ball.
Travis Mecklenberg’s bucket sent the Wolves into the halftime turn with a 19-13 margin.
Christian put a handful of assists in the book as he aided on baskets by Taylor to start the second half.
A three-pointer by Doughtery and a basket from Mecklenberg, though, stretched WK’s third quarter lead to 29-20.
Schupp scored on the low block and Mecklenberg got a shooter’s bounce at the buzzer.
As such, the Wolves took a 33-22 spread into the fourth period.
Kilbourne expanded its upper hand to 40-26 during the first three minutes of the final stanza.
At that point, Christian basically took over MHS’ offense.
The senior scored eight points, spurring the Monarchs on a 15-4 run.
Marysville sliced its deficit to 44-41 on Christian’s lone trifecta.
MHS was called for an intentional foul with 45.1 ticks remaining on timer.
Wolford swished both charity tosses for a 46-41 Kilbourne margin. The Wolves’ ensuing possession came up empty.
Marysville then lost possession of the ball and the Wolves began working the clock.
The Monarchs had to put Kilbourne on the charity stripe to stop the timer.
The Wolves added four additional free throws to seal the victory.
Worthington Kilbourne
Schupp 6-4-16, Mecklenberg 4-1-9, Wolford 2-2-8, Parsons 3-0-6, Dougherty 1-2-5, Tomasek 2-0-4, Abahazle 0-2-2. Totals 18-11-50.
Three-point goals: Wolford 2, Dougherty 1.
Marysville
Christian 5-8-19, Taylor 4-1-9, Karnes 2-2-8, Barlow 1-1-3, Moore 0-2-2, Brown 0-0-0, G. Johnson 0-0-0, D. Johnson 0-0-0. Totals 12-14-41.
Three-point goals: Karnes 2, Christian 1.
Marysville won the JV A and B games.
The A team claimed a 44-38 victory.
Ryker Bowden led the Monarchs with 14 points.
The B squad edged the Wolves, 39-36.
Carson Taylor, Merrick Reynolds and Brayden Graves each tallied eight points.