Patriots clip Eagles wings, 62-47

Marion boys pick up key 5A road win over GCT

By Chuck Livingston

Marion School District

By Chuck Livingston Marion School District PARAGOULD —- Early on this season, the book on the 2024 Marion boys basketball team was that they were an elite defensive team that may be an elite scoring outfit, particularly against the better teams.

The defensive reputation was earned and maintained after the Patriots have allowed less than 38 points per game so far in their first foray through 5A East action, making Marion the league’s top-scoring defense.

Don’t look now, but the Marion offense is rounding into shape now, too. No. 2 Marion scored in almost any way possible in Wednesday night’s 62-47 victory at Greene County Tech inside Eagle Arena.

The Patriots scored in the paint via layup and floater.

Marion abused the offensive glass and scored on stickbacks. The Pats hit seven of 18 three-pointers. And Marion connected on nine of 14 free throws. The 62 points represented Marion’s second-highest scoring total in league play, coming one night after Marion put up 63 points at home against Paragould.

Additionally, the Patriots dominated the rebounding margin 39-24 and committed just six turnovers.

Four Patriots (12-2 overall, 50 5A East) hit double-digits at Tech, led by Lyndell Buckingham’s game-high 16 points and eight assists, 12 apiece from David Brewer and Kayden Nesbitt, and 10 points from LaDaryl Robinson. Nesbitt pulled down a team-high 10 boards, while Robinson collected eight caroms.

Landon Stuart paced Tech (11-10, 1-4) with 12 points, while Kason Scott pumped in 11 of his own.

The Eagles took their only lead of the game when Colter Hunt hit a layup early in the first period, and Buckingham immediately responded with a runner and a no-look lob to Robinson for a dunk and a 4-2 Marion lead. After a Stuart jumper tied the game, Marion hit the Eagles with an 8-0 run that featured a Brewer threepointer, a Robinson layup, and a Buckingham free throw and a layup for a 12-4 lead, and the Patriots enjoyed a 157 bulge after a quarter.

Brewer hit another triple for the second quarter’s first hoop and gave Marion its first double- digit lead at 18-7.

Tech got back within nine points late in the second quarter, but Marion got a lift from guard Dexter Higgins, who twice came up with steals that he turned into layups, and the Pats enjoyed a 34-24 halftime lead.

Marion took its biggest lead to date (44-30) following a pair of free throws from Mikell Lewis and a Lewis dunk for a 44-30 lead late in the third period, and the visitors closed out the third period with a 45-33 bulge.

The Pats turned to the offensive glass to close out victory in the fourth quarter, collecting six offensive caroms and making seven of their 14 field goals.

Lewis, Nesbitt, and Buckingham scored six straight points in the paint midway through the fourth quarter for a 53-39 advantage with 4:18 left in regulation.

Robinson and Buckingham played closer down the stretch, combining to score Marion’s last 11 points over the game’s final 3:12.