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Efficient second half leads to second straight Division 3 title for Marshall

03/09/2019, 7:45pm CST
By Travis Wilson

Marshall shot 57.1% from the field and closed things out at the free throw line to capture its second consecutive WIAA Division 3 girls basketball state championship, defeating Laconia 64-56 at the Resch Center on Saturday afternoon.

Anna Lutz was fantastic for the Cardinals and head coach Alex Koeller, making 10-of-14 shots from the floor, including both three-pointers, to go with four-of-six from the free throw line to score a team-high 26 points.

Lutz helped stake the defending champion Cardinals to a 29-24 halftime lead with 14 points before the break. Bailey Neuberger came off the bench to add six, first-half points.

Laconia hung close all game, as the lead changed hands six times during the contest and was tied on five occasions. The final tie came with 10:12 left in the game, when a pair of Kiarra Otto free throws knotted the game at 43. 

Marshall would score the game's next nine points, six coming from Lutz, as the Cardinals' lead would not dip below six points the rest of the way. After a Mia Morel layup put Marshall ahead 58-52, the team's next six points came from the free throw line, including five made freebies over the final 1:22 to seal things up.

In addition to Lutz, both Laura Nickel and Mia Morel hit double-digits with 12 points for Marshall. 

Despite just six turnovers in the game, Laconia struggled at times offensively, shooting just 36.8% from he field in the game and 53.8% at the free throw line. The Spartans were led in scoring by Kiarra Otto, who finished with a game-high 27 points. Haley Rens, with 11 points, was the only other player to hit double-figures.

Tag(s): News Archive  GBB News  Travis Wilson  Girls Hoops Playoffs