No. 9 Rock Bridge destroys Owls

Junior Lee Standley's transition layup with 3:25 left in the third quarter was the Owls' last field goal during a 79-33 loss at Rock Bridge.

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"We knew it was going to be a challenge coming in," Harrold noted following the Owls' 79-33 non-conference humiliation Monday at Rock Bridge. "We didn't meet that challenge."

In fairness, it wasn't as bad as the drubbings handed MHS by Mexico (70-35) in 2002 or Troy (64-27) in the finals of the 1999 Smith-Cotton Classic. In neither of those games were the Owls competitive. For a half against the Bruins, ranked ninth in Class 5, Marshall found a way to stay alive against a clearly superior squad.

It was a struggle, though, especially with Rock Bridge's defensive pressure producing 19 first-half turnovers -- which came in bunches. The Owls had four straight possessions which ended without a shot midway through the first quarter, falling behind 11-4.

"One time we'd break their press, then the next two or three times down the court we'd forget what we did," Harrold said. "We're not a half-court type of team. We have to take advantage."

Marshall did that at times. Trailing 18-7, senior J.B. Barton's outlet pass began a fast break for senior Stewart Workcuff and senior Scott Fann closed the period with a steal and layup.

Sophomore Erik Darkow hit a three-pointer for the Bruins, but Fann struck from the high post and junior Myles Yokeley sank two free throws and picked off a pass for a breakaway to slice the deficit to 21-17 with 5:45 left in the half.

However, senior Terrell Turner drained a pair of bombs and the Owls coughed the ball up on four series in a row. Junior Chad Jones-Hicks scored twice inside and sophomore Logan Gray's steal and two charity shots capped a 10-2 run.

Marshall ended the half with a 9-4 spurt, Workcuff and Fann scoring in transition and Standley driving twice to produce a goal and two freebies to end the half with the Owls 12 points behind.

"We did a lot of things poorly, but I thought we had a little momentum going in" to halftime, Harrold said. "I thought ... we had a chance to come back and make a game of it."

Instead, the opposite happened. Gray hit the offensive glass for the first two of his nine third-quarter points and sophomore Isaiah Warren made a stick back and fast-break basket. Marshall gave up eight offensive rebounds and 12 turnovers during the frame, its only points coming on a drive by senior Joe Ritter and a Standley steal.

"They kept sending those kids in waves and it kind of got to us," Harrold conceded. "Every time we looked over, it seemed like they were sending in more 6-foot-6 kids."

The fourth quarter was quick, the clock running non-stop, as Rock Bridge closed out with an 11-1 sprint. By the time it was over, the Owls had given up the rock 35 times and permitted 16 offensive rebounds -- leading to a gaps of 52-32 in field-goal attempts and 27-12 in free throws.

"They're a good team," Harrold said. "When they smelled blood in the water, they went after it."

Gray wound up with 15 points and four steals, Turner had 12 points and Brett Gifford -- a 6-9 junior -- scored 11 in limited minutes for the Bruins (5-1).

Fann's nine points led Marshall's starters, with Standley and Workcuff combining for 10 points off the bench. Fortunately for the Owls (4-3), Rock Bridge is no longer in the NCMC. However, the Birds will host a talented Hannibal squad Friday, a critical contest between league contenders.

"We're not going to see anybody like [Rock Bridge] the rest of the way," Harrold remarked. "We've got to learn from this and move on."