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Marietta girls explode in second half

Tigers run away from River for a 67-37 victory

Marietta’s Morgan Altenburger, who finished with a game-high 18 points, is fouled by River’s Riley Knight (33) as teammate Emily Smith (20) looks on during the Tigers’ 67-37 victory Wednesday night inside Sutton Gymnasium. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

MARIETTA — River had Wednesday night’s game inside Sutton Gymnasium even at 23 late in the second, but Marietta scored the final eight points of the stanza and then dominated the third quarter en route to a 67-37 blowout.

The 9-6 Tigers of head man Allen Ruth, who defeated the Pilots 66-52 on Dec. 9, were led by Morgan Altenburger’s game-high 18 points as the orange and black return to action tonight at Alexander.

Marietta appeared as though it would take complete control early in the second. Altenburger drained a 3 via a Kenzley Urban assist for a 19-13 lead.

Following a putback as well as a steal and layup by Jennifer Smith, who had a game-high six boards and joined teammate Adi Hill with 11 counters, the Pilots of head coach Rick Isaly called timeout down 23-13 with 6:40 left in the half.

River, which dropped to 4-7 and returns to action with a varsity only home tilt at 2 p.m. Saturday versus Shadyside, went on a 10-0 run to tie it at the 3:12 mark. Hannah Raper’s lay-in for part of her 14 points got it started. Freshman Kelsey Harlan, who had 25 points in the December meeting and finished with 11, followed with a 3 and then hit from deep again after being left open. Kylie Piatt’s bucket tied it.

However, Rylee Kendall’s deuce 34 ticks later put the hosts ahead for good and it was 31-23 at intermission after Altenburger hit a 3 and Julia Tucker did the same. A steal by Hill enabled Saylor Wharff to assist on Tucker’s trifecta. She finished with nine points on a trio of 3s.

The Pilots went 10 of 16 from the floor in the first half, but were plagued by 14 turnovers. The shots didn’t fall in the third as the visitors made just 1 of 9 and had five more turnovers, which allowed the Tigers to hold a 52-26 edge entering the fourth.

Jessica Smith, who had eight counters, opened the second half with a three-point play. That ignited an 11-0 spurt which also featured layups by Jennifer Smith and Altenburger as well as a Hill triple and a foul shot. Raper’s 3 thanks to an Emily Smith assist finally stopped the run, but the Tigers tallied the final 10 points of the third. Jennifer Smith started it with a putback and had a three-point play, Hill scored following a steal by Urban and then Urban assisted on Altenburger’s buzzer-beating 3.

A field goal by Karson Pfalzgraf at 5:22 of the fourth still had the Pilots in a 55-30 hole and Tucker followed with her other two 3s thanks to assists by Wharff, who dribble penetrated and then kicked it out to the wing.

Altenburger finished with a game-high five steals and also grabbed as many rebounds.

The Tigers, who were trailing 14-8 on the boards at intermission, owned the glass in the second half and finished with a 31-24 advantage. MHS, which forced 22 turnovers and committed just eight of its own, had 16 total offensive rebounds.

Marietta hit 5 of 15 from deep in the first half and 6 of 15 from downtown following the break.

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

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