HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs rallied from down 12 points in the first half to knock off the Rawlins County 62-41 Thursday in the sub-state semifinals game at Ellis to advance to the sub-state championship game Saturday.
After Dylan Werth put the Monarchs up 2-0 to open the game the first quarter Rawlins County owned the next four plus minutes of the first quarter building a 15-3 lead with 2:45 to play in the first quarter.
A Luke Rome free throw pulled TMP with 11 at 15-4. Then a Kade Harris fastbreak layup sparked an 18-2 TMP run to end the first quarter and open the second quarter that erased the double-figure deficit and put the Monarchs up 21-17.
The game was briefly tied at 21 before Ladon Rozean converted on a fastbreak layup putting TMP up 23-21 at halftime.
TMP outscored Rawlins County 15-6 in the second quarter.
In the third quarter TMP’s Dylan Werth, who played just three and a half minutes in the first quarter because of foul trouble scored eight straight and 10 of his 14 points in the third quarter helping to Monarchs take a 42-28 lead. TMP opened the second half on a 19-7 run that was capped off by a Griffin Schumacher three pointer.
Just like two previous quarter TMP opened the fourth with a big run, outscoring Rawlins County 11-4 to take a 52-35 lead.
They closed with the 62-41 victory, their 19th straight.
Kade Harris led TMP with a career-high 21 points. Luke Rome and Dylan Werth both finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for TMP.
The Monarchs will take on Hoxie in the sub-state championship game Saturday after the Indians edged Hill City 45-43.