Patriots blow out Bombers

Patriots blow out Bombers

Marion remains undefeated in conference play, set sights on Greene County Tech tonight

Marion School District The Marion Patriots came up big again Tuesday night with a win over the Mountain Home Bombers on a night that would be huge for playoff implications.

The Patriots (18-3 overall, 11-0 5A East) took another step closer to a conference title in their blowout win over the Mountain Home Bombers (8-14, 3-8).

Marion came into the night with a magic number of three to secure a conference title. A Jonesboro loss on Tuesday night also helped their cause, dropping the magic number to one game.

Clutch free throws were needed for the Patriots in the final minute of the first meeting at Mountain Home between the two teams.

Marion Head Coach David Clark said the difference between the two games was his team’s focus.

“We just had a better sense of urgency tonight,” Clark said after the game.

“The conference is coming to an end and they don’t want to lose a game. They don’t want to go home, so they’re playing as hard as they can right now.”

The Patriots dominated the game from the opening tip off, holding the Bombers to two total points after the first quarter of play.

Senior guard Keyshawn Woods had the hot hand early for the Pats, scoring nine of the team’s 19 in the first.

Marion kept up the intensity in the second quarter, leading as much as 32-4 near the end of the half.

Senior center Timothy Ceaser turned the paint into a no-fly zone for the Bombers, blocking three shots in the first half.

The Bombers would take advantage of the Patriot defense relaxing at the end of the half and finish on an 8-2 run. However, the Pats would still lead 35-12 heading into the locker rooms.

The defensive intensity would continue in the second half as Marion outscored the Bombers 15-8 in the third quarter. Marion would also add three more blocks in the quarter from Decoreio Smith, Woods, and a fourth block from Ceaser.

Marion’s 50-20 lead at the end of the third quarter would trigger a running clock for the fourth quarter. The Pats outscored the Bombers 7-6 in the final quarter for the 57-26 final score.

“We’ve just been working on defense,” Clark said after the game about his team’s performance. “We still need to understand how to run our offense more effectively against different defenses. I believe we can play with anyone in the country, but we can’t slow ourselves down.”

Ceaser led all scorers in the game with 14 points, followed by Woods with 11 points and a three-point make. Senior forward Luke Kruse was the leading scorer for the Bombers with eight points.

Up next for the Patriots is a road trip tonight to Greene County Tech. The Patriot defense looked strong in the 65-51 victory in their first game with the Eagles (15-7, 4-6).

The games at Greene County Tech are scheduled to start at 6 p.m. with the Lady Pats vs. Lady Eagles. A livestream for both games will be available for free at marionpatriots.com.

By Tyler Bennett