Improved Marlo leads Devils

Monday night's girls prep basketball

By JOHN ROARK

john.roark@register-news.com

SESSER — Lorena Marlo is learning that the more she is around the basketball, the better things turn out for herself and her Sesser-Valier/Waltonville girls basketball teammates.

Marlo grabbed 14 rebounds and knocked down 25 points Monday night as the Lady Red Devils vanquished Franklin County rival Benton, 69-51.

“Marlo might be one of the most-improved players I’ve seen in a long time,” SV/W coach Brian Gibson said. “She shot 29 percent from the field last year, and this year she’s up over 50. And it’s all because she decided she was gonna learn how to shoot.”

And shoot the senior forward did. Marlo was so good, that at the end of the second quarter — after the Devils (10-2) had smacked the Rangerettes (3-10) with a 25-12 blitz — she stole an inbounds pass with 1.5 seconds remaining, stepped in with a dribble and knocked down a jump shot.

The basket, which appeared to have beaten the buzzer, was waved off by the officials.

No matter. The Devils, who had raced to an early 8-0 advantage, had themselves a 39-26 halftime lead. And at several points in the second half, Benton made runs to cut the lead to single digits, only to see SV/W pull away when it had to.

Ashley Slack had a big first half for the Devils, scoring 14 of her 16 points. But Slack couldn’t knock down her free throws this night, allowing Benton to get chances to slip back in.

With Lindy Meacham bombing away from the outside and freshman Morgan Corn working inside, Benton was able to creep to within 37-31 late in the third period.

That’s when Devils freshman Rae Lippin found herself with the ball at the top of the key with time running out. Lippin promptly buried a trey as time ran out, punching the hosts’ lead to nine.

And, even though the Rangerettes cut the lead to 40-35 to start the fourth quarter, the Devils didn’t let up. Waltonville freshman Chelsea Miller had a runout layup and hit three fourth-quarter free throws, and Marlo bowled inside for key stickbacks and post-ups down the stretch.

Had Gibson’s team shot its free throws a tad better — SV/W finished just 11 of 29 — the victory would have been even more convincing.

Slack was an uncustomary 2 of 12 at the stripe, but Gibson said that her shortcomings at the line didn’t damage other parts of Slack’s game, particularly on defense.

“If Ashley had hit her free throws like she’s been doing lately, she’d had more (points) tonight,” Gibson said. “But she and Marlo inside makes for a pretty good one-two punch. What I liked overall, though, was that even though Benton had chances to cut it even closer, our defense was tough, and we pretty much limited them to one shot and out.”

Marlo was 5 of 8 from the line to go with her 10 baskets.

“Marlo has always has that intensity,” Gibson said. “It doesn’t matter what drill were doing in practice, she is going 100 percent all the time, and it carries over in the floor.

“She’s fearless when she’s going after a ball. She’s so smart defensively, to where she’s always around the ball.

“She’s always in the right spot,” Gibson added.

Kate Laird, another of the four Waltonville co-op players, added 10 points. Meacham, who had nine first-period points, led the Rangerettes with 20 points. She was held to a lone basket in the second frame, when the Devils pulled away from a 14-all tie at the first stop.

“Meacham is deceiving in that she doesn’t look like she is going to take it to the basket but she does,” Gibson said. “She scored on some backdoor moves tonight, but we made her move her feet — she earned everything she got tonight.”

SV/W is idle until meeting New Athens in the Chester Mid-Winter Classic Jan. 6.



Sesser-Valier/Waltonville 69, Benton 51

Benton 14 12 15 10—51

SVW 14 25 11 19—69

BENTON (51)

Mendez 3 2-4 9, Miller 2 0-0 4, Webb 2 0-0 4, Meacham 7 4-6 20, Pedigo 1 0-1 2, Hayden 1 0-0 2, Corn 5 0-3 10, Carney 0 0-1 0. Totals 21 6-15 51.

SESSER-VALIER (69)

Lappin 4 0-0 9, Miller 2 1-5 5, Marlow 10 5-8 25, Doerr 1 0-0 2, Eskew 1 0-0 2, Slack 7 2-12 16, Laird 3 3-4 10, Totals 28 11-29 69.

3-point goals — Benton 3 (Mendez 1, Meacham 2), Sesser-Valier 2 (Lappin 1, Laird 1). Team fouls — Benton 24, Sesser-Valier 15. Fouled out —Webb. Preliminary: Sesser won.

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