Shenandoah entered Wednesday's game against Marion in a rare position - coming off a loss. The Raiders were eager to get back on the winning track after losing to Leo in their last outing. Marion was 3-1 after a narrow win over Bishop Dwenger in its previous game.

 

Shenandoah guard Kaden McCollough had a quick start with two threes. On the other end, Marion did not have an offensive rhythm. Jalen Blackmon made an early three but hit a cold streak after that. In a relatively fast-paced opening quarter, the Giants were only able to score 11 points.

 

Down seven after the first quarter, Blackmon started to get going in the second period. His steal and dunk tied the game at 24. He scored seven in the frame. Shenandoah senior Kameron Graddy started to find gaps around the basket for scores. A couple of late buckets from Graddy gave Shenandoah a 31-28 lead at the half.

 

After the break, Blackmon sliced up Shenandoah's defense with passes. He found Rodney Gibson and Matthew Goolsby around the basket for opportunity after opportunity. The front court duo helped Marion erase its deficit. 

 

Like the beginning of the game, McCollough came out of the locker room on fire. He had a cold streak in the first half after making his first two shots, but McCollough found his shot in the third. He scored eight of Shenandoah's 13 points in the third.

 

Tied at 44 going to the fourth; it looked like the game would go to the wire. 80 seconds into the quarter, Blackmon scored to give Marion a three-point lead. A couple of possessions later, he jumped a pass and had a breakaway but missed the dunk. Blackmon bounced back on the next Marion possession by drilling a tough mid-range jumper over a couple of defenders.

 

Unfortunately for Marion, that was the last time that the Giants scored in the game. Jakeb Kinsey and Andrew Bennett were living in the lane and dropping off passes to Graddy. Thanks to all of those dimes, the senior center scored 13 points in the fourth period. Shenandoah took the air out of Marion's offense as they collapsed on Marion's paint opportunities, and Blackmon couldn't find any space for outside shots. 

 

When the dust settled, Shenandoah scored the final 19 points of the game. Marion did not score in the last six minutes. The Raiders won 67-51 as Graddy recorded 25 points and 12 rebounds; McCollough added 17; Kinsey tallied eight points and eight assists. Blackmon led Marion with 19 points.

 

Shenandoah enters the Hall of Fame Classic at 6-1. Marion is now 3-2 and plays Homestead next Tuesday.