After a string of four wins, the Marian Crusaders's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They fell just short of Westview by a score of 68-66. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Marian came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 25th, while Westview is ranked 168th).
When it comes to explaining why Marian lost, one person who can't be blamed is Elsa Vedral. Despite the final result, she scored 28 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. Vedral continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Paige Miller, who scored eight points along with six steals.
Even though they lost, Marian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Westview only pulled down four offensive rebounds.
Westview's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Stella Williams led the charge by scoring 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Cardy King, who scored 14 points along with six rebounds and two steals.
Marian's loss dropped their record down to 10-3. As for Westview, their victory bumped their record up to 4-8.
Marian's road trip will continue as they head out to face Bellevue West at 5:30 p.m. on January 25th. Westview won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Gretna at 1:15 p.m. on January 20th. Gretna is coming into the game on a five-game losing streak.
