North Marion eases past Vanguard
Hot start paces Colts to win over Knights.
After splitting their first two games, Tuesday night’s third clash between Vanguard and North Marion would settle bragging rights for the regular season between the county rivals.
North Marion used a hot hand in the first quarter to build a big lead and the Colts’ coasted to a 64-51 win over the Knights. The victory improved North Marion, which placed four players in double figures, to an impressive 16-6 on the season.
“We started fast and shot the ball extremely well in that first quarter,” said North Marion coach Tim Yarn. “I think our energy was good and we kind of set the tone on the defensive end. We were balanced on offense and played unselfish basketball. When we do that and rebound the ball, we’re a hard team to deal with. It’s always good to get a win against your rival.”
The loss dropped Vanguard, which trailed by 14 points after the first quarter, to 11-12 overall.
“We haven’t responded to adversity very well this season,” said Knights coach Travis Licht. “It’s been an issue all year and we have to figure out a way to mature a little more going into the post-season.”
North Marion had the home fans in a frenzy from the opening tip as senior forward Elijah Lee scored eight of his 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers and sophomore forward Lamont Sweeting Jr. added five of his 11 points as the Colts stormed out to a 20-6 lead.
Vanguard regrouped and sliced into its deficit as junior guard Brandon Haughton scored five of his team-high 13 points, while senior guard Derek Singleton splashed a trey as part of his 12 points. North Marion senior forward De’Marion Bentley scored five points as the Colts took a 31-19 lead into the half.
Vanguard struggled to put the ball in the basket in the third period and North Marion capitalized as junior guard Jerdarrius Jackson scored four points, senior Coy Sizemore drained a 3-pointer as part of a 12-point night and junior Tekelvin Jackson knocked down a trey from the right wing at the buzzer to give the Colts their biggest lead of the game at 45-27 heading to the final quarter.
Vanguard refused to go down without a fight and rallied behind Singleton’s six points and eight points from Haughton to close within eight points midway through the final stanza. North Marion stayed composed and with the lead, ran time off the clock with each possession while looking for a good shot. Sizemore scored on a driving layup, Sweeting scored on a putback and Toure James scored seven of his 11 points to clinch the win for the Colts.
“We made some good decisions down the stretch and held on for the victory,” coach Yarn said.
North Marion wraps up its regular season on Friday night with a road game at Forest High. The Colts, the No. 1 seed, get a first-round bye and begin play in the Class 4A-District 5 tournament on Feb. 5 against the winner of Eastside and Dunnellon. The district championship game will be held Feb. 7.
“We’re playing well and heading in the right direction going into the postseason,” Yarn said.
Vanguard has a home game against West Port on Thursday night. The Knights begin play in the Class 5A-District 5 tournament on Wednesday night with an away game at Lecanto.