WORTHINGTON -- Worthington started fast, but Marshall ended both halves on fire as it defeated the Trojans 68-60 in a Big South Conference girls basketball matchup on Friday at Worthington High School.
Marshall came into the game with a half-game lead over Worthington with an 8-2 BSC record to the Trojans’ 7-2.
Worthington started the first half hot, opening with an 8-0 run and leading by as much as 16, but it was all Marshall late as the Tigers finished with a 10-0 run.
Worthington guard Emma Thuringer opened the second quarter scoring with a layup, and Ahmitara Alwal followed that up with a basket of her own after an Emily Shaffer rebound. Anneke Weg made two free throws and Thuringer added another basket to cap the 8-0 run.
The Trojans went on another 8-0 run that ended with the Trojans ahead 29-16 just past the midway point of the first half. Emily Shaffer kicked the run off with her second 3-pointer of the game, Thuringer scored two baskets and Ahmitara Alwal made a free throw in the run.
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It was all Marshall after that in the first half.
The Trojans only scored six more points while the Tigers scored 19, including the final 10 points of the first half.
Erica Jones made two 3-pointers and the game-tying free throw for Marshall in the end of the first half.
The second half started the same way the first ended. The Tigers came out firing on all cylinders and took their first lead of the game with a free throw by Whitney Schwartz. Natalie Petrich scored the next five points for the Tigers went ahead 46-41.
Worthington climbed back into the game and cut the deficit to one point with baskets by Thuringer and Ahmitara Alwal to make it 46-45. Thuringer had an opportunity to tie the game at 48 as she was fouled on a layup, but missed the free throw and the score stood at 48-47 with 13:12 to go.
Payton Sauerbrei’s first points of the game put the Trojans back on top as she made two free throws to put them up 51-50. She followed that up with a layup on the next possession to extend the lead to 53-50. She kicked off an 11-0 run that gave the Trojans a 58-50 lead. Thuringer capped the run converting an and-1.
Schwartz ended the Trojans run, making two free throws to make it 56-52, and started a 19-2 run to end the game for the Tigers. Petrich tied it up at 59, converting an and-1, and Schwartz made a layup to take the lead at 61-59.
Marshall got baskets from Jones, Suecker, Schwartz and Sanow to end the game.
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Petrich led the Tigers with 24 points, while Jones scored 11. Schwartz and Suecker each scored nine.
Thuringer scored 18 points for the Trojans, Shaffer scored 12 and Weg scored 11.
Worthington is now 13-7 and 7-3 in conference play.
Marshall 35 68
Worthington 35 60
