By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post Sports
MEDICINE LODGE – The TMP-Marian Lady Monarchs turned in another solid defensive performance, holding their seventh opponent to 40 points as they advanced to the sub-state championship game on Saturday in Smith Center with a 57-33 victory Tuesday in Medicine Lodge.
It took both teams a couple of minutes to break onto the scoreboard, but after Bria Windholtz's free throw, with just over five and a half minutes left in the first quarter, got TMP on the board, and they never looked back, leading wire-to-wire.
TMP (16-7) quickly opened the game on an 8-0 run before Medicine Lodge closed within three, at 8-5, with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Paige Koenigsman closed out the first quarter with the first of three first-half three-pointers, putting TMP up 11-5 after the first quarter.
Out of the quarter break, Koenigsman connected on her second three-pointer, and she finished with a career-high 12 points off the bench for TMP, giving the Monarchs a 14-5 lead.
Just a couple of minutes later, Adi Gottschalk connected on her first three-pointer of the season, and Koenigsman added her third of the first half, putting TMP up 22-7.
The Monarchs held that 15-point lead throughout the remainder of the first half and led by 19 at halftime,32-13.
TMP maintained the 19-point lead at the end of the third quarter, 41-22.
In the final frame, Medicine Lodge (17-6) closed the gap to 14 before the Monarchs pulled away again in a 57-33 victory.
Brynn Rebel matched her season-high with 15 points to lead all scorers. Paige Koenigsman added a career-high 12 points, and Claire Schippers finished with 10 points. Bria Windholz added nine rebounds.
TMP will take on Ellinwood in Friday’s sub-state championship game after the Eagles defeated Smith Center 54-31 Tuesday.