By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post Sports
HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs celebrated Senior Night in a big way Friday night with a doubleheader sweep in their final home games of the regular season.
GIRLS: TMP 44, Phillipsburg 34
The TMP-Marian Lady Monarchs (13-6, 7-1 MCL) held
Phillipsburg to just 12 second-half points as they recorded their fifth
straight win, 44-34.
Phillipsburg opened the game on a 7-2 run, over the first three plus minutes of the game, but a pair of free throws from both Brynn Rebel and Raegan Allen sparked an 8-3 run, closing out the first quarter with a Brynn Schoepf runner, tying the game at 10 through the first quarter.
The Panthers built their lead in the second quarter, and with four minutes and 20 seconds left, they led 19-16.
That’s when Rebel collected a steal and a layup, pulling TMP within one. Then, on the following possession, TMP’s Claire Schippers converted on a floater in the lane, giving the Monarchs a 20-19 lead. A lead they never relinquished the rest of the night.
TMP built a 26-22 halftime lead and then outscored Phillipsburg 13-5 in the third quarter, taking a 39-27 lead heading into the final quarter, and a 44-34 victory.
Claire Schippers finished with 13 points on Senior Night to lead the way for the Monarchs.
BOYS: TMP 62, Phillipsburg 36
The TMP boys used a 32-10 run covering the second and third quarters,
as they extended their season-high win streak to seven games with a 62-36
victory.
The opening quarter featured five lead changes and one tie before the Monarchs (15-5 & 8-0 MCL) took control with a 12-4 run to end the opening frame.
Down 7-4, a Grant Nehls two-handed slam dunk ignited the run for TMP, with Will Eck and Jacob Seib added three pointers to close out the quarter with TMP leading 16-11.
Phillipsburg closed within one, at 16-15, with six and a half minutes left in the first half. But TMP would slowly begin to pull away.
They outscored Phillipsburg 14-5 over the final four plus minutes of the first half and led 30-19 at halftime.
Phillipsburg scored the first field goal of the second half. TMP then held them scoreless for the next three minutes and built a 17-point lead.
When all was said and done, TMP outscored Phillipsburg 32-10 over the 14 and a half minutes that made up all of the third quarter and what was left of the second. TMP was up 48-25 through three quarters.
The Monarchs reached a 30-point lead in the fourth quarter, and with the running clock, they went on to a 62-36 win.
Grant Nehl led TMP with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Jacob Seib added 14 points, five rebounds and seven assists.
The Monarchs have two games left in the regular season; they will travel to Oakley on Tuesday and Norton on Friday.