Lady Wildcats finish Benton tourney on winning note

BENTON -- The Marion High School girls basketball team finished the Benton Rangerette Christmas Classic on a high note and gained some revenge on Mt. Vernon with a 42-36 win to open Saturday evening's final session at Rich Herrin Gymnasium.
The Lady Wildcats went 2-2 at the tournament and left with a 6-12 overall record after topping Mt. Vernon, which beat Marion in a conference game earlier this season.
Mt. Vernon had an early seven-point lead but Marion got rolling with baskets from Jordan Turner and McKenzie Orange, with the latter coming after an outstanding save from Lauryn Kadela, then pulled close on a three-point play by Quinisha Emanuel.
A basket from Kadela tied it early in the second quarter and a free throw from Emanuel put Marion ahead 16-15 with 4:42 left in the half and the Lady Wildcats led the rest of the way.
Marion led 21-18 at the half and then scored the first nine points of the third quarter, including two buckets from Orange, a reverse layup by Turner and a putback by Emanuel. A free throw by Kadela gave Marion its largest lead at 30-18.
The Lady Rams pulled within four points twice in the final frame but Daishen Wolaver hit two huge 3-pointers to keep Marion comfortably ahead. Turner iced it with two free throws with 33.8 seconds left.
Turner finished with 12 points and Wolaver had 10. Orange tallied seven, Emanuel had six and Kadela five.
On Friday afternoon, the Lady Wildcats lost a heartbreaker to Vienna, 40-38. The Lady Eagles had just one field goal in the fourth quarter, a 3-pointer by Haleigh Keeling, but it put them ahead to stay as they went 8-for-13 from the foul line down the stretch.
Marion, which led 16-14 at halftime, had two chances to win in the final seconds but came up short. Kadela led the Lady Wildcats with 10 points. Orange had eight and Wolaver had seven.
On Thursday, Marion took on Carterville in the evening session after drubbing Christopher earlier in the day and fell 40-27 to the Lady Lions.
The game was tied at 16-16 at halftime, then Carterville's Jeniah Thompson scored seven of her game-high 14 points in the third quarter to push the Lady Lions in front.
Kadela led Marion with 10 points and Orange had nine.
Hamilton County won the tournament with a win over host Benton and is now 18-1 this season. Carterville took third place with a 51-26 win over Pinckneyville.