Marshall’s defense forced 15 turnovers as the host Statesmen grabbed a first half lead and never looked back. They went on to beat South Lakes 57-46, gaining a spot in the regional title game and a berth in the Class 6 State Tournament.
“We thought we had good matchups. They have some great players, but we felt their great players matched up well with our great defenders,” Marshall head coach Mike Trivisonno said.
South Lakes (21-5) shot 40% from the field and the Statesmen limited them to just two three-pointers on the night. Marshall’s third quarter defense was especially dominant, as the Statesmen held the explosive Seahawks to just eight points.
Offensively, Marshall saw multiple zone defenses from South Lakes but adjusted well, as Trivisonno’s team ended up shooting 62% from the field. And much like the Statesmen defense, their offense was especially clicking in the second half, as Marshall opened up the third quarter with a 9-2 run.
The victory avenged a loss to South Lakes in last year’s regional semis and one earlier this season.
“When we played them the last two times, they played zone about 90% of the time and we had trouble with it. So we not only prepared for this game, but we’ve really been preparing for South Lakes all season. So we were ready for their zone, and then they switched to man-to-man. And we’re pretty good when teams play us man-to-man,” Coach Trivisonno said.
The Marshall offense was led by senior point guard Zoe Soule, who finished with 18 points and handled the ball with ease against the Seahawks’ full court pressure.
“Zoe was huge. I think she’s playing the point guard position better than anyone in the northern region right now,” Coach Trivisonno said.
Following Soule, Mary Trivisonno finished with 14 points and Rachel South added 10.
Marshall (21-6) will host undefeated Madison tomorrow in the 6D regional championship game.
–Mark LeDuc