MORAN — Marmaton Valley High’s girls are 2-for-2 in the heartbreaking loss department.
For the second straight game to start the 2020-21 season, the Wildcats came up just short in the end.
On Thursday, Marmaton Valley saw Madison High’s Yolaine Luthi hit a pair of free throws with 4.6 seconds left to break a 28-28 tie.
The Wildcats got a final shot off, but Janae Granere’s attempt came up just short in the 30-28 defeat.
The game came on the heels of Tuesday’s 44-38 loss to Northeast, a game in which Marmaton Valley led going into the fourth quarter.
Thursday followed much the same pattern.
After a slow start, the Wildcats took the lead in the second quarter and held that advantage until Madison rallied late in the fourth quarter to lead 28-25.
Granere drilled a 3-pointer with 33 seconds left to tie it up. Madison held the ball for the final shot, Luthi was well-guarded with her shot from the lane.
A little too well, one of the referees decided, in whistling the foul call against the Wildcats.
“It was a pretty controversial call,” Marmaton Valley head coach Becky Carlson said.
With time running out, Granere was able to get open for her final shot, but had to rush to beat the buzzer.
“We’re right there,” Carlson said. “We’ve just gotta find that push to get it over the hump to win. I see the potential there. The girls fight, and they don’t give up.”
Carlson sees promise with her young Wildcat squad.
“They’re getting used to what I’m assuming is a new offense,” noted Carlson, who is in her first year coaching at her alma mater after leading the Iola Fillies program the past 14 years. “They’ve done a great job with the defense. The girls are starting to figure things out. They’re working hard. We moved the ball really well and did a lot of good things. We just didn’t get the win.”
Kayla Ard and Granere shared high-scoring honors for the Wildcats with 10 points apiece. Kaylee Becker added eight.
Sarah Miser scored 15 to pace Madison.
THERE WAS no such drama in the boys game. Madison raced to a 24-3 lead and continued to roll from there, winning 93-12.
Quincy Adams scored seven to pace Marmaton Valley.
