Wildcats hand Flyers first loss

MARIA STEIN - For three of the four quarters played Thursday night, Minster and Marion Local played nearly even with each other.

The second quarter, however, was all Minster as the Wildcats used an 18-4 outburst to take a 16-point halftime lead and hold off the Flyers to pick up the 61-45 win in Midwest Athletic Conference action at the Hangar.

The Wildcats improve to 8-3 with the win and 2-2 in the MAC. The Flyers, ranked first in this week's Associated Press Division IV state poll, fall to 11-1 and 2-1.

"It's Marion-Minster. It doesn't matter what the records are," Minster coach Nann Stechschulte said. "We've had three losses by a total of four points, all on the road. ... This was a good road win. We needed it."

Minster used a mix of solid shooting and good defense, alternating their defensive formations, to corral Marion in the second half. The Wildcat guards stymied Flyers guards Cadence Jacobs and Allie Thobe, holding Jacobs scoreless in the quarter and Thobe to just a single free throw. Inside the paint, Minster kept Emily Mescher at bay, holding the junior to her only basket in the first half.

Offensively, Rosie Westerbeck had nine points in the second quarter while Mariah McKenzie hit a pair of three-pointers to put the Wildcats out in front 31-15 at the half.

"I said we had to play hard and had to take care of the ball (and) take away their strengths," Stechschulte said.

"Overall, I think we did a pretty good job. I like switching defenses. We kept doing that to not let them get comfortable."

"The second quarter was doom," Flyers coach Treva Fortkamp said. "We were down (13-11 after) the first quarter and played even with them in the second half. When you dig a hole like that against a good team like Minster, it's going to be hard to get out.

"Credit Nann. They were the aggressors that quarter. They came out and we were on our heels. That was the difference."

The Flyers tried to spark a comeback at the start of the third quarter. Mescher had six quick points in the first 2:17 of the quarter and Thobe added a pair of free throws to slice the Minster lead to 31-23. The Wildcats quickly cut off the threat with five straight points from Logan Arnold to put the lead back to 13 at 36-23 midway through the quarter.

Marion Local continued to pare down the Minster lead, getting to within eight points with 1:24 left in the game, only to have Minster hit free throws down the stretch to keep a comfortable margin ahead of Marion.

"They are way better than their record," Fortkamp said of Minster. "That's a nice team. We could have played better."

Westerbeck led the Wildcats with 16 points. Arnold, Lauren Roetgerman and Alexis Wuebker each scored 10 points.

"I think we're pretty balanced," Stechschulte said. "You can't key in on one player. As long as everybody can understand each other's role and accept their role, it's fun."

Jacobs scored 15 of her game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to going 10-for-10 from the foul line. Thobe finished with 11 and Mescher had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Both teams are off until next Thursday. Minster hosts Delphos St. John's and Marion Local travels to New Knoxville.