3/4 Marietta v New Lexington

[Sportsfan01]

New Lex had the better strategy coming in and Marietta was not able to adjust. New Lex did a good job defending the post despite the size disadvantage and slowed down the pace and made Marietta really work on the defensive end.

New Lex is a very strong defensive team with two scoring options. Some games Marietta is a strong defensive team and tonight only one player who could score. I don’t think strategy had anything to do with the verdict — both executed for the most part what they wanted to do but usually the Tigers will get Wittekind or Lieras-Kelley or even Jones to put up a few more points but that didn’t happen. Not a good night for Marietta to play subpar.

Marietta had a huge size advantage but failed to use that. Kendall had a decent game. But he did not get near enough touches in low post IMO. Partially because of New Lexs great defense and partially because I didn’t think Marietta did enough to try and get him open. So I think that does come down to strategy.

[SouthEast Hoops Fan]

New Lex had the better strategy coming in and Marietta was not able to adjust. New Lex did a good job defending the post despite the size disadvantage and slowed down the pace and made Marietta really work on the defensive end.

New Lex is a very strong defensive team with two scoring options. Some games Marietta is a strong defensive team and tonight only one player who could score. I don’t think strategy had anything to do with the verdict — both executed for the most part what they wanted to do but usually the Tigers will get Wittekind or Lieras-Kelley or even Jones to put up a few more points but that didn’t happen. Not a good night for Marietta to play subpar.

Marietta had a huge size advantage but failed to use that. Kendall had a decent game. But he did not get near enough touches in low post IMO. Partially because of New Lexs great defense and partially because I didn’t think Marietta did enough to try and get him open. So I think that does come down to strategy.

Ok, we just disagree. He might have a had a few more touches, but even when he did how many non-calls impacted his ability to score? On top of that, others have to be able to contribute. When no else is getting buckets, full attention can be put on Kendall, who still scored nearly half of Marietta’s points. This takes nothing away from New Lex, but the key wasn’t primarily limiting Kendall it was the inability for other Tigers to score their share.

[E High]

New Lex had the better strategy coming in and Marietta was not able to adjust. New Lex did a good job defending the post despite the size disadvantage and slowed down the pace and made Marietta really work on the defensive end.

New Lex is a very strong defensive team with two scoring options. Some games Marietta is a strong defensive team and tonight only one player who could score. I don’t think strategy had anything to do with the verdict — both executed for the most part what they wanted to do but usually the Tigers will get Wittekind or Lieras-Kelley or even Jones to put up a few more points but that didn’t happen. Not a good night for Marietta to play subpar.

Marietta had a huge size advantage but failed to use that. Kendall had a decent game. But he did not get near enough touches in low post IMO. Partially because of New Lexs great defense and partially because I didn’t think Marietta did enough to try and get him open. So I think that does come down to strategy.

Few play that way anymore. Old school + new school is a recipe for winning if you have a good team. The best teams play that way.

[pfloyd]

New Lexington 43
Marietta 40 a final

... Pfloyd's official "UN-official" Napkin Stats - Marietta

Scoring ... Alex Kendall 17, Elyjah Lieras-Kelley 6, Zaiden Wittekind 6, Brayden Jones 5, Seth Britton 2, Izak Knighten 2, Trey Hawkins 2
3 Pointers ... 2/8 ... Alex Kendall 1, Brayden Jones 1
FTs ... 6/12
TOs ... 12
PnP ... 14fgs/ 28 points in the paint
PnT ... 0
Pbk ... 3 fgs/ 6 points on putback buckets


... Pfloyd's official "UN-official" Napkin Stats - New Lexington

Scoring ... Bentley Hanson 18, Isaiah Stephens 16, Paul Stenson 5, Lane Ratliff 2, Eli Stephens 2
3 Pointers ... 2/8 ... Paul Stenson 1, Bentley Hanson 1
FTs ... 15/18
TOs ... 5
PnP ... 7fgs/ 14 points in the paint
PnT ... 0
Pbk ... 0

Bonus Napkin Stats:

Rebounds : Marietta 30 New Lex 12
Points off of turnovers : Marietta 0 New Lex 14

... I was stunned at how big of a gap Marietta had on the boards over New Lex 30 to 12 ... New Lex attacked the rim - it paid off as one of the big reasons for a NL dub was that they got "something" out of every possession in the 2nd half ... 15/18 from the FT line on the game... 10/12 from the FT line 10/12 in the 4th period with 10 of the NL final 12 points coming at the free throw line ... New Lex got "separation" in the 3rd at the 4:35 mark going up by 5 (23-18) ... MHS got the lead with 2:41 to play in the game 38-37 ... couldn't hold it as the Tigers went 0/4 from the FT line down the stretch ... NL played tough man to man D, doubled up on Kendall when he got the ball, no good looks for entry passes down low, Braglin - the lone New Lex senior - played an outstanding defensive game/very physical vs the bigger Kendall in the paint, kept Kendall off the blocks / forced him out on the floor ... Marietta struggled to get the 2nd scorer which New Lex had in the Hanson/Stephens "the elder" combo ... New Lex 43 Marietta 40 a final

[Hookshot]

New Lexington 43
Marietta 40 a final

... Pfloyd's official "UN-official" Napkin Stats - Marietta

Scoring ... Alex Kendall 17, Elyjah Lieras-Kelley 6, Zaiden Wittekind 6, Brayden Jones 5, Seth Britton 2, Izak Knighten 2, Trey Hawkins 2
3 Pointers ... 2/8 ... Alex Kendall 1, Brayden Jones 1
FTs ... 6/12
TOs ... 12
PnP ... 14fgs/ 28 points in the paint
PnT ... 0
Pbk ... 3 fgs/ 6 points on putback buckets


... Pfloyd's official "UN-official" Napkin Stats - New Lexington

Scoring ... Bentley Hanson 18, Isaiah Stephens 16, Paul Stenson 5, Lane Ratliff 2, Eli Stephens 2
3 Pointers ... 2/8 ... Paul Stenson 1, Bentley Hanson 1
FTs ... 15/18
TOs ... 5
PnP ... 7fgs/ 14 points in the paint
PnT ... 0
Pbk ... 0

Bonus Napkin Stats:

Rebounds : Marietta 30 New Lex 12
Points off of turnovers : Marietta 0 New Lex 14

... I was stunned at how big of a gap Marietta had on the boards over New Lex 30 to 12 ... New Lex attacked the rim - it paid off as one of the big reasons for a NL dub was that they got "something" out of every possession in the 2nd half ... 15/18 from the FT line on the game... 10/12 from the FT line 10/12 in the 4th period with 10 of the NL final 12 points coming at the free throw line ... New Lex got "separation" in the 3rd at the 4:35 mark going up by 5 (23-18) ... MHS got the lead with 2:41 to play in the game 38-37 ... couldn't hold it as the Tigers went 0/4 from the FT line down the stretch ... NL played tough man to man D, doubled up on Kendall when he got the ball, no good looks for entry passes down low, Braglin - the lone New Lex senior - played an outstanding defensive game/very physical vs the bigger Kendall in the paint, kept Kendall off the blocks / forced him out on the floor ... Marietta struggled to get the 2nd scorer which New Lex had in the Hanson/Stephens "the elder" combo ... New Lex 43 Marietta 40 a final

You've done an excellent job on putting some things in persective Pfloyd. Some people trying to analyze this and that strategy, but two things especially stand out:

-- Free Throws -- 6 for 12 vs. 15 for 18. Candidly, had Kendall gone to the line several times more to which he was entitled, Tigers win. Basic. But regardless, 6 for 12 isn't making use of what you had, especially when the opponent shoots more and makes 83%.

-- Points off Turnovers -- 14 points for New Lex, 0 for Marietta. Hard to overcome that.

Bottom line, both of these teams appeared to be well-prepared but these two factors were particularly impactful in a very close game.

If New Lex can find a way to hold down two elite scorers this Saturday, they may have a shot at Warren. The Panthers just might be good enough defensively to get it done. Slow the pace, play physical -- keep the game in the 30's or mid 40's. Maybe.

[boss8]

-- Free Throws -- 6 for 12 vs. 15 for 18. Candidly, had Kendall gone to the line several times more to which he was entitled, Tigers win. Basic. But regardless, 6 for 12 isn't making use of what you had, especially when the opponent shoots more and makes 83%.

-- Points off Turnovers -- 14 points for New Lex, 0 for Marietta. Hard to overcome that.

This is exactly right…those two factors were the difference in the game. Amazes me for as much as Kendall has the ball and for the amount of attention he draws how little he gets sent to the FT line. He got hacked multiple times last night with no calls. Additionally, I didn’t think I’d see a better flopper than that tiny kid for Warren, but #20 from New Lex gives him a run for his money. The Panthers got bailed out multiple times on terrible charge calls.

That being said, Marietta’s guards didn’t continue their elevated play at the worst time. Didn’t defend well, turned it over too much, weren’t aggressive for the most part, and didn’t make open shots or FT’s. Kendall was a one man show and played extremely well (17&13) considering he got doubled every time he had it and didn’t get any help. Disappointing end to a great season.

[Old Shorts]

-- Free Throws -- 6 for 12 vs. 15 for 18. Candidly, had Kendall gone to the line several times more to which he was entitled, Tigers win. Basic. But regardless, 6 for 12 isn't making use of what you had, especially when the opponent shoots more and makes 83%.

-- Points off Turnovers -- 14 points for New Lex, 0 for Marietta. Hard to overcome that.

This is exactly right…those two factors were the difference in the game. Amazes me for as much as Kendall has the ball and for the amount of attention he draws how little he gets sent to the FT line. He got hacked multiple times last night with no calls. Additionally, I didn’t think I’d see a better flopper than that tiny kid for Warren, but #20 from New Lex gives him a run for his money. The Panthers got bailed out multiple times on terrible charge calls.

That being said, Marietta’s guards didn’t continue their elevated play at the worst time. Didn’t defend well, turned it over too much, weren’t aggressive for the most part, and didn’t make open shots or FT’s. Kendall was a one man show and played extremely well (17&13) considering he got doubled every time he had it and didn’t get any help. Disappointing end to a great season.

Danged refs. Always bailing them out when they flop. Sad

[EasternDspy]

The better team lost. That being said Marietta got out coached. Marietta never adjusted to Meigs slowing the ball down. Marietta needed to press and speed the game up. Also good teams don’t miss free throws.

[redskinwitness]

New Lex has a great coach. I've watched them a few times the past few postseasons, the success he's sustained at a school that had very little hoops success for the previous half century is impressive. They'll be better next year as they return all but one guy from this team. The Kendal kid is a really nice player for Marietta, IMO his play style is why he doesn't get a lot of FT attempts, he is more of a finesse big who relies on skill over physicality. I'm sure at the college level they will get him to utilize his frame on the block a bit more, as he matures he's going to turn in to a terrific small college player if I had to guess.

[Hookshot]

The better team lost. That being said Marietta got out coached. Marietta never adjusted to Meigs slowing the ball down. Marietta needed to press and speed the game up. Also good teams don’t miss free throws.

This is an opinion forum, so I'll offer mine. It appears you haven't seen enough Marietta or New Lex (not Meigs by the way) to know. How many times have you seen either of them? The game strategy/coaching was not an issue. Kendall earned multiple trips to the foul line that he didn't get. In addition, armbars/two-hands not called. Tigers missed numerous layups and good inside looks in addition to being outscored at the foul line. But no question New Lex played very well on defense and took advantage. "Good teams don't miss free throws"? Marietta is just an average free throw shooting team. Warren is one of the best teams in all of southern Ohio and they are not a good free throw shooting team either statistically for the year -- a few weeks ago even their leading scorer was under 60% from the line for the season (I'm sure that has improved in recent weeks) and yet he's an exceptional player. Like was said earlier, free throws and points off turnovers most impactful.

[pioneer19]

I don't think Marietta got outcoached. The Tigers had plenty of opportunities down the stretch, just didn't execute. New Lex defense was absolutely the difference in the game. They never allowed Marietta to get into a rhythm. Nothing came easy. Very impressive performance. The final with Warren is going to be a great game.

[HamPorter]

Always some excuse when the tigers lose. Fact is they played a awful schedule and barely excaped some of those bad teams to get the seed they did and ran into a better team last night

I’m glad some posters like pioneer19 above gave full credit to the defense that the panthers played, because that is why they are moving on, not officiating like others have implied

Good season for marieta but if you want to take the next step you e got to up that non conference schedule

[EasternDspy]

Marietta was a better team and only scored 40 points. No way can you let New Lex slow the game down and not adjust. You got to find a way to get Kendall the ball. They also missed about 8 layups. Marietta just didn’t have the guards or the perimeter shooting to win a game like this. Warren guards are much better I got them beating New Lex by 10 plus.

[EasternDspy]

I don't think Marietta got outcoached. The Tigers had plenty of opportunities down the stretch, just didn't execute. New Lex defense was absolutely the difference in the game. They never allowed Marietta to get into a rhythm. Nothing came easy. Very impressive performance. The final with Warren is going to be a great game.

How do you let 2 players from New Lexington run that much block between possessions?

[SouthEast Hoops Fan]

Marietta was a better team and only scored 40 points. No way can you let New Lex slow the game down and not adjust. You got to find a way to get Kendall the ball. They also missed about 8 layups. Marietta just didn’t have the guards or the perimeter shooting to win a game like this. Warren guards are much better I got them beating New Lex by 10 plus.

Your description right here demonstrates it was just an off game for too many Marietta players. Missed layups (I doubt it was 8) were certainly a problem and if they make half of those they win. People on here seem to forget Marietta beat Warren by 5 and lost by 4. Had they played New Lex anything like those games it would have been a solid margin win.

[Hookshot]

Marietta was a better team and only scored 40 points. No way can you let New Lex slow the game down and not adjust. You got to find a way to get Kendall the ball. They also missed about 8 layups. Marietta just didn’t have the guards or the perimeter shooting to win a game like this. Warren guards are much better I got them beating New Lex by 10 plus.

Your description right here demonstrates it was just an off game for too many Marietta players. Missed layups (I doubt it was 8) were certainly a problem and if they make half of those they win. People on here seem to forget Marietta beat Warren by 5 and lost by 4. Had they played New Lex anything like those games it would have been a solid margin win.

People following sports do this all the time -- they look at one game and make assumptions or come to conclusions. So if Marietta doesn't miss those layups or makes a few more free throws, they win and the conversation is totally different. Good reminder about how tough Marietta played an outstanding Warren team this year.

[EasternDspy]

Marietta was a better team and only scored 40 points. No way can you let New Lex slow the game down and not adjust. You got to find a way to get Kendall the ball. They also missed about 8 layups. Marietta just didn’t have the guards or the perimeter shooting to win a game like this. Warren guards are much better I got them beating New Lex by 10 plus.

Your description right here demonstrates it was just an off game for too many Marietta players. Missed layups (I doubt it was 8) were certainly a problem and if they make half of those they win. People on here seem to forget Marietta beat Warren by 5 and lost by 4. Had they played New Lex anything like those games it would have been a solid margin win.

It was 5 in first half alone

[EasternDspy]

New Lexington coach had a game plan and it worked perfectly. It’s the kind of stuff you have to do when you’re less talented.

[Philos_Finest]

Some of these replies are a thing of beauty....

New Lex wanted the game in the 40's & Marietta wanted it to be in the 60's. New Lex has held 18 teams under 50 points. This was their pace & their style of game the entire game, which is why the won. Blame the officials or the team for "not showing up" but make sure to give the Panthers credit for executing their game plan to absolute perfection. Duerr is one of the top 2/3 coaches south of I70 & east of 23, that is not debatable. Their win over Tri-Valley was the best win by any team in the SE District, & they might get a rematch in the convo in the sweet 16.

[Hookshot]

Always some excuse when the tigers lose. Fact is they played a awful schedule and barely excaped some of those bad teams to get the seed they did and ran into a better team last night

I’m glad some posters like pioneer19 above gave full credit to the defense that the panthers played, because that is why they are moving on, not officiating like others have implied

Good season for marieta but if you want to take the next step you e got to up that non conference schedule

Arguing on social media is probably a lost cause, but I don't see anyone not crediting New Lex, especially for their defense. New Lex can play excellent defense and the officiating can still have been a factor against Kendall, which it was. Two things can be true.

Too many people forget how tough Marietta played Warren this year -- beating them by 5 and losing by just 4. Why did that happen?

Regarding schedule, Marietta had the 3rd best ranking in terms of Opponent's Winning Percentage of the top 10 Southeast District D-II teams, and the best OOWP of all 20 teams in the district. Are you going to criticize other teams who played no better schedules than Marietta and are still playing in Ohio, and who didn't schedule games against larger schools? Marietta did schedule games against bigger schools and teams from D-1 conferences. It is not always possible to know one year out how good a team may be the next year.

Marietta lost 6 of its top 10 players from its 15-8 team last year and had an impressive run this season. You believe some people offer excuses. But others would say more respect or credit is due.