Tough tests continue for Marlington hoops

The Marlington boys basketball team is going to get that first win of the season; it’s just a question of when. This past week, however, the cards were stacked against the Dukes as they battled tough opponents.

Marlington opened the week Dec. 9 with a nonconference home game against Howland. The Tigers entered with a 1-1 record, as only a narrow two-point loss to South Range separated them from an unbeaten mark.

Howland played like an undefeated team early, surging to a 14-5 lead after one quarter. The Dukes battled back in the second and third quarters, outscoring Howland 24-19, and trailed by just four entering the final period. That was as close as Marlington would get, as the Tigers poured in 21 fourth-quarter points for a 54-41 win.

Brady Denham led Marlington with 14 points and four steals, while Carter Frank scored all 10 of his points on three-pointers and added four rebounds. Cameron Evanich finished with six points and five rebounds. Jackson Mickel scored 11 points for Howland (2-1).

The Dukes returned to action Friday, Dec. 12, traveling to West Branch for their Eastern Buckeye Conference opener. West Branch entered the game unbeaten in league play after a narrow win over Minerva and stayed that way following a 54-26 win over Marlington.

The first quarter ended in a 9-9 tie before West Branch pulled away over the next two quarters, scoring 34 points while holding the Dukes to 10. Matt Baldwin led Marlington (0-4, 0-1) with nine points. Jeremiah Thomas paced the Warriors (2-2, 2-0) with 11.

Girls basketball

The week opened with a difficult matchup as Marlington fell to two-time defending EBC champion and current league leader West Branch. The Warriors (5-0, 2-0), who had been winning by an average of 22.5 points, increased that margin with a 47-13 home win over the Lady Dukes on Dec. 10. No additional details were available.

Marlington remained on the road Dec. 13, visiting Minerva in another league contest. With the score tied at 27 entering the fourth quarter, the Lady Dukes pulled away by outscoring Minerva 11-2 for a 38-29 win, earning their first EBC victory.

Addison Wittensoldner scored 17 points to lead Marlington (2-4, 1-2), while Bailee Pietz added 11. Ireland Kirkpatrick led Minerva (0-6, 0-3) with 12 points.