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Trojans’ run cut short

No. 13 West Marshall falls to Creston, 51-44

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - West Marshall freshman Katy Reyerson (44) shoots over Creston’s Sam Dunphy (3) during the second half of Wednesday’s Class 3A Region 8 semifinal game at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines.

WEST DES MOINES — For one half, things went great for the West Marshall girls basketball team Wednesday night in Class 3A regional play. The No. 13 Trojans (18-3) were playing crisp, clean basketball and making life difficult for Creston’s offense and star player, Kelsey Fields. Karlyn Snider was controlling the Trojans’ offense and running plays, with Teresa Disney finding shots inside and Renae Schafer hitting mid-range jumpers.

The Trojans were halfway to a regional final birth — but in the second half, the game flipped against West Marshall. The result was a season-ending 51-44 loss to the Panthers (14-9) at Dowling Catholic High School.

West Marshall coach Fred Zeller said one big change from the Panthers in the second half shifted the game in their favor.

“They came out in a man, and they were pretty tough one-on-one,” Zeller said. “We didn’t handle it very well at times. Didn’t seem to create shots.”

The senior-laden Trojans — who now lose six seniors, Snider and Disney included — battled through a back-and-forth first quarter to separate themselves with a 19-12 lead. This was the only quarter in which the Trojans would reach double-digits, a foreshadowing of the later problems they would have putting the ball in the basket.

West Marshall’s defense — a box-and-one with senior guard Avril Sinning face-guarding Fields and denying her the ball — held up well, and while Fields scored eight points in the first half she wasn’t keeping the Trojans from taking a six-point lead into halftime.

Only three separate Panthers hit 2-point field goals in the game: Fields, Sam Dunphy and Brianna Fields.

Zeller said the defense was effective against Kelsey, but the Panthers started making shots.

“They shot the ball well from outside,” Zeller said. “They just got a little momentum with some big shots.”

In the second half, the change to a man-to-man defense for Creston was critical. Snider — who seemed to hurt her right knee at the end of the second quarter but kept playing — was still pulling the strings, but it was much harder for the Trojans to get players open. Sinning hit one 3-pointer in the second half and wasn’t getting separation. It became more difficult for Disney and freshman wing Katy Reyerson to finish shots inside. Disney led the Trojans with 10 points and Reyerson and Sinning finished with nine apiece.

Dunphy took over in the second half for Creston, scoring all but two of her game-high 17 points in the last 16 minutes. She hit key shots to give Creston the lead early in the fourth quarter and hit all five of her free-throw attempts, stifling West Marshall momentum.

With the score tied at 40 and less than three minutes left, a big 3-pointer from Braelyn Baker gave the Panthers the lead for the final time. Unable to get back on track, the Trojans watched as the Panthers ended their season at the free-throw line.

Still, Zeller said the growth from start to finish made the season a success.

“I think we had some good chemistry, for the most part, all season,” Zeller said. “Effort was there, execution at times wasn’t there, but defensively I don’t think we could have played much better.”

Creston 51, West Marshall 44

At Des Moines

CRESTON (14-9) — Sydney Hartsock 2 0-0 6, Sam Dunphy 6 5-5 17, Rylie Driskell 1 0-0 3, Braelyn Baker 3 2-4 11, Kelsey Fields 5 2-3 12, Brianna Fields 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 18 9-12 51.

WEST MARSHALL (18-3) — Avril Sinning 3 0-0 9, Karlyn Snider 2 2-4 6, Teresa Disney 4 2-4 10, Katy Reyerson 3 3-5 9, Renae Schafer 4 0-0 8, Eliza Girard 1 0-0 2, Avery Randall 0 0-0 0, Abby Green 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 17 7-13 44.

CRESTON 12 9 11 19 — 51

W. MARSHALL 19 8 8 9 — 44

3-Point Goals–Creston 6 (Baker 3, Hartsock 2, Driskell), WM 3 (Sinning 3). Total Fouls–Creston 11, WM 15. Fouled Out–none.

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