NFV dashes MFL MarMac’s UIC title hopes
Carter Lightfoot led MFL MarMac with 24 points—including five of the team’s nine three-pointers—in a victory over Crestwood on Feb. 10. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
Parker Kuehl netted 17 points in the win over the Cadets.
Jaron Wille tries to disrupt a Crestwood pass.
By Audrey Posten | Times-Register
The MFL MarMac boys basketball team closed out the regular season last week, defeating Crestwood before dropping the finale—and a shot at a share of the Upper Iowa Conference title—to North Fayette Valley.
After a close first quarter in which the Bulldogs led 21-18, they ended the first half of the Feb. 10 non-conference match-up with Crestwood on a 29-9 run. MFL MarMac—who shot an impressive 59.6 percent from the field—continued to rack up points in the second half, out-scoring the Cadets 34-18 for an 84-44 win.
The Bulldogs were especially lethal from long range, making nine of 17 three-point attempts, including five from leading scorer Carter Lightfoot, who had 24 points overall. MFL MarMac also benefitted from a 39-20 rebound advantage, and the defense nabbed 10 steals and blocked seven shots.
In addition to his 24 points, Lightfoot led the Bulldogs with eight assists, and also contributed four rebounds, a pair of steals and a block.
Eli Hanson was 6-9 from the field, for 17 points, and picked up five rebounds, four assists and a steal.
Parker Kuehl also finished the night with 17 points, to go with his three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Landyn Miene was the fourth MFL MarMac player to hit double digits, with 11 points, and secured a double-double with 10 rebounds. He was responsible for five of the seven blocks.
In the Feb. 11 game at NFV, the MFL MarMac offense struggled to keep pace with the TigerHawks and star Cael Reichter, who put up 38 points. The Bulldogs trailed 17-11 after the first quarter and could never catch up, falling behind 38-22 by halftime and losing 72-45.
The point total tied for MFL MarMac’s lowest of the season, with the other coming in a 58-45 loss to NFV on Jan. 10. In the Bulldogs’ four losses, the TigerHawks were responsible for the two biggest point disparities.
NFV shot 13 percentage points better than MFL MarMac from the field, at 44.6 versus 31.8 percent, and made eight three-pointers to the Bulldogs’ five. The TigerHawks also got to the free throw line seven more times, sinking 14 of 22 attempts.
In addition, the rebound advantage heavily favored NFV, 49-20, with the TigerHawks holding MFL MarMac to just six second chance scoring opportunities while taking 21 of their own.
Kuehl and Lightfoot each scored nine points for the Bulldogs, while Miene added seven. Miene and Lightfoot both grabbed three rebounds, and Lightfoot was the assists leader with four.
MFL MarMac finished the regular season 18-4 overall and 14-2 in the Upper Iowa Conference. Postseason play begins Thursday, Feb. 20, in Monona, when the Bulldogs host Jesup in a Class 2A - Substate 3 match-up. The game will start at 7 p.m. The winner will play in the District 6 final on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
