Wildcats get win over Meridian on Senior Night

MARION -- The six senior members of the Marion High School boys basketball team made their final game at Cuss Wilson Gymnasium a victory Saturday night.
The Wildcats capped a two-win weekend by downing Meridian, 71-55, while sending off Jaden Lacy, Justin Saddoris, David Fletcher, Cole Schafer, Justin Johnson and Terrell Henderson.
Marion is now 17-10 with road games at Carbondale and Centralia still remaining in the regular season.
"They've had it tough," said Marion first-year coach Gus Gillespie. "They've had a lot of coaches and a lot of change and change isn't easy. I'm proud of them. I don't know them very well, it's only been four or five months, but they've been coachable. I told them they've laid the first bricks for changing things here at Marion basketball."
Johnson has battled a knee injury and was the lone senior not in the starting lineup, but did get on the court for the final seconds and took one shot that missed.
Saddoris was the only other senior not to score in the game, which was a bit strange considering he scored 22 points in Friday's win over Belleville Althoff.
"He made very good passes and he controlled things and gave other people shots," Gillespie said. "He's had a heck of a year and had a big night last night for us."
Henderson dominated the paint and scored 17 points, while Schafer hit three 3-pointers and had 11. Fletcher and Lacy both had eight points.
Picking up the scoring and emotional slack was sophomore Jackson Connor, who dumped in 22 points, with a dozen coming in the first half.
Marion went into the second quarter with a 16-9 lead thanks to a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Boston Ziegler, then took a 30-20 lead into halftime. The margin was the same at 30-20 going into the fourth, when an 11-1 run put the game away.
"I thought we played at a good pace and beat a very good team tonight," Gillespie said of the Bobcats (16-12).
The weekend victories were much needed after losing on the previous Friday and Saturday nights.
So what was the difference?
"We made some shots," Gillespie said. "When you make shots you look better and things feel better."
Marion was also sharp at the foul line and made 20 of 26 attempts Saturday night.
The Wildcats play at Carbondale this coming Friday.