HIGH FIVE

Trenton Girls Top Marceline 51-33 For Fifth-Straight Win To Open Season

The Trenton High School girls’ basketball team cleared the first of two high hurdles this week, picking up a 51-33 road win in Marceline Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs were a little slow out of the break, playing in their fourth game in eight days and coming off a Gallatin Tournament championship. Trenton led Marceline just 10-9 after a quarter of play, but things picked up from that point on. The Bulldogs went on to lead 26-17 at halftime and pulled away throughout the second half on the way to an 18-point victory.
“We came out a little lethargic, which I think was a byproduct of playing four games in the last week,” Trenton Head Coach Brian Upton said. “But toward the end of the second quarter we had extended our lead and then we pulled away in the fourth.”
As a team, Trenton shot 49 percent from the field and 68 percent from the free-throw line. The Bulldogs tallied 12 steals and 11 assists, turning over the ball 14 times.
“The team statistics were good, but we had trouble sustaining waves of momentum,” Upton said. “Give Marceline credit, they played hard and wanted to win the game as well.”
All-Gallatin Tournament team selections Whitley Richman and Sidney Lynch spent a lot of the game in foul trouble, but Salem Croy stepped up her scoring, knocking down four-of-five three-point attempts. She would lead Trenton with 15 points. Richman followed with 12 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two assists and Ainsley Tolson and Ashten Whitaker each had seven points with Tolson adding two assists and Whitaker netting three steals and two assists. Lynch had five points and four boards and Taylor Richman came off the bench for two points, six rebounds and four assists. Mykah Hurley had three points to round out Trenton’s scoring and added four rebounds and three steals.
“Salem was really good tonight and Whitley was her dependable, excellent self as well,” Upton said. “Taylor and Ashten’s play was also key. They came in and gave us real productive minutes on the court, especially with Whitley and Sidney fighting foul trouble.”
The win kept Trenton undefeated, moving the Bulldogs to 5-0 overall. That streak will get its toughest test to date on Friday, however, as Trenton goes on the road again, jumping up a class size against Chillicothe.
“We definitely will have to have more focus and intensity come Friday versus Chillicothe,” Upton said. “Hopefully we can recharge over the next couple of days and be ready to bring our A game on Friday.”
The Bulldogs and Hornets are set to tip off Friday at 6 p.m. in Chillicothe.