Right on the Marks
Sophomore forward delivers double-double as South Central takes down Morgan Township
South Central’s Olivia Marks played with an edge Monday night.
The 5-foot-8 sophomore forward had 13 points and 11 rebounds during a 57-46 victory over visiting Morgan Township in the first round of the Porter County Conference Tournament.
“It’s giving the most effort I possibly can,” Marks said. “I knew I had to step up for my team and play for them.”
Marks impressed South Central coach Wes Bucher.
“I’ve never seen her play like that,” Bucher said. “I know she’s a good basketball player. But (Monday), she stepped out and really dominated.
“The biggest thing was the way we rebounded. We were physical. They’re a much taller team inside. … It’s something we’ve been preaching year-round, just the physicality inside.”
South Central (12-7) advanced to Wednesday’s semifinals against Washington Township, which moved on with Westville withdrawing from the tournament as part of a coronavirus-related suspension of team activities.
The Satellites avenged a 58-42 loss Dec. 8 to Morgan Township (15-4) and ended a three-game losing streak in the series.
It was all about attitude, according to junior guard Abbie Tomblin.
“It’s the mindset,” she said. “We were very confident in our abilities. We had to draw the line.”
Tomblin led South Central with 16 points. She added six rebounds and five steals.
“I couldn’t have done it without my team because they definitely caused a lot of chaos,” Tomblin said. “So kudos to them for allowing me to get those (steals).”
Junior guard Delanie Gale had 11 points before fouling out with 2:51 left, keying a 14-0 run in the third quarter that helped South Central seize control.
Gale scored seven straight points, including back-to-back 3-pointers, to give the Satellites a 33-28 lead with 4:55
left in the third.
Marks followed with a basket after grabbing an offensive rebound, Tomblin added a steal and layup and Marks completed the outburst with a 3-point play off another steal, making it 40-28 with 3:11 remaining in the quarter.
After Morgan Township climbed back into the game, Tomblin delivered the dagger by hitting a 3-pointer to give South Central a 47-38 edge with 3:55 left.
Bucher called that shot “a turning point,” and Tomblin praised Marks’ pass.
“The best shots are the ones I don’t even think about,” Tomblin said. “We just had to keep going and keep penetrating.”
South Central kept Morgan Township at bay by making 10 of 14 free throws in the fourth quarter.
“It was will,” Bucher said. “There was not a loose ball where we were not on the ground.
“That’s hustle stuff. It comes down to heart.”
Morgan Township still can clinch its third straight outright round-robin title and fifth straight overall with a win Jan. 26 at Westville.
But South Central denied the Cherokees in their bid to win a second consecutive conference tournament championship and fourth in five seasons.
Senior guard Emma O’Brien scored a game-high 17 points for Morgan Township before fouling out with 1:34 left. Freshman forward Peyton Honchar added 10 points before fouling out with 53.4 seconds.
“We had too many turnovers,” Morgan coach Rick Budka said. “The first time we played them we had nine, and (Monday) we had 19. Emma O’Brien and Peyton Honchar did a good job of keeping it close down the stretch, but we needed more balanced scoring.
“The most disappointing stat was way too many unnecessary fouls. South Central did a great job of making their free throws. … The bottom line, South Central did what was needed to win the game.”