Sports
Marietta Falls to Augusta’s Richmond Academy
The Blue Devils can't come back in the Hiram Holiday Classic.
The Richmond Academy Musketeers kept steady at the foul line as they outlasted the surging Blue Devils 59-50 on Monday in the opening rounding of the 2010 Hiram Holiday Classic.
Marietta High School played crosstown rival at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the consolation round, while Richmond advanced to the second round against Harrison High School at 5:30 p.m. All games were played in the Hiram High School gymnasium.
For the Marietta and Richmond game, the Musketeers took control early with solid ball movement and a fast tempo. The Blue Devils, meanwhile, struggled against a stonewall defense.
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Marietta Coach Matt Lyons said: "We do not have a lot on them. We have not seen them a lot except a little at Kennesaw State University."
Before the game, Lyons said his team had not been shooting the ball well at 37 percent for the season so far. The low shooting percentage carried over into Monday's game.
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After a stern talk from Lyons, the Marietta team stepped up in the second quarter. The Blue Devils forced turnovers, but they still struggled to rebound the ball.
Richmond slowed the pace of the game and continued its excellent ball movement. Marietta got more aggressive on the defensive side of the ball, though, and Richmond was forced to intensify its style of play to keep its lead going into halftime. At the end of the first half, Richmond led Marietta by one point at 25-24.
In the second half, Richmond continued to outrebound Marietta, but Marietta's defense forced Richmond to take wild shots.
Sensing that the Blue Devils were mounting a comeback, Richmond turned on the jets to try to stop Marietta from tying the game. Marietta would not be denied, however, and with 2:59 left in the third quarter, the Blue Devils took their first lead in the ballgame at 32-30.
In the fourth quarter, the score remained close until Richmond pulled away by hitting outside shots. Both teams were in the bonus as well, so every trip to the free-throw line became important. Richmond eventually pulled out the win.
