Marshall leads Hazen past R-T

RICHARDTON -- The Hazen boys basketball team didn't need any long runs to beat Richardton-Taylor on Thursday.

The Bison combined small scoring spurts with good defense to earn a 73-60 District 14 win at Richardton-Taylor High School gymnasium.

"We played pretty well defensively," Hazen coach Randy Johnson said. "We kept them off the boards."

Hazen had four players in double figures, led by two-time all-state forward Chad Marshall, who dumped in 19 points including two key 3-pointers in the second half.

"(Jadon Messer) was guarding him pretty well in the first half," Johnson said. "(Chad's) used to that."

Marshall had just five points at halftime as Hazen held a slim two-point lead. However, the 6-foot-3 senior found himself with a few more shooting opportunities in the second half.

"I had some great picks set by my teammates," Marshall said. "It was just as much them as it was me."

That was more than evident as junior point guard Brent Sorensen finished with 16 points. Senior center Clay Brinkman had 14 and junior Ryan Miller 11.

"We're on a roll right now," Marshall said. "We played really well together."

Ball pressure played a big part in the win as Sorensen and junior Baylee Carr harassed Richardton-Taylor guards Dylan Messer and Jadon Messer throughout the night, most notably early in the second half.

"We have to take care of the ball better," Richardton-Taylor coach Dan Glasser said. "It's not just one player; it's the whole team. I didn't really expect that out of our seniors tonight."

Marshall's first 3-pointer put Hazen up 35-33 in the third quarter. After Richardton-Taylor senior Kasey Naumann scored a layup on a pass from senior Scott Remington, Sorensen came down and drilled a 3-pointer to put the Bison in front for good.

The Raiders were able to draw within one at 38-37, but Marshall hit his second trey and the Raiders were never able to get any closer. Seven straight Hazen points by Brinkman to start the fourth quarter gave the Bison a comfortable 11-point cushion.

Though senior starter Joe Westman only finished with eight points, he did have nine rebounds and seven assists. Westman transferred from Max in the offseason.

"Joe's starting to get a little bit more comfortable," Johnson said.

Despite the loss, Jadon Messer had a strong scoring night, pouring in a game-high 20 points and adding a team-high four rebounds. Naumann finished with 15 points and nine rebounds while Dylan Messer chipped in 12 points.

Glasser said the Raiders aren't going to win many big games allowing 73 points.

"You can't win when you give up that many points," Glasser said. "We still believe we can play with (Hazen)."

Hazen 13 30 51 73

R-T 16 27 45 60

H: Chad Marshall 19, Brent Sorensen 16, Clay Brinkman 14, Ryan Miller 11, Joe Westman 7, Baylee Carr 2, Michael Grimm 2, Jordan Cieslak 2.

R-T: Jadon Messer 20, Kasey Naumann 15, Dylan Messer 12, Lane Transtrom 8, Carsen Colgrove 2.

3-pointers: H 4 (Sorensen 2, Marshall 2), RT 4 (D. Messer 2, J. Messer 2). Free throws: H 15-26, RT 13-27. Total fouls: H 22, RT 23. Fouled out: H, Sorensen. RT, D. Messer. Rebounds: H 31 (Westman 9), RT 24 (Naumann 9). Assists: H 19 (Westman 7), RT 10 (J. Messer 4). Steals: H 12 (Carr 4), RT 7 (Naumann 3). Blocks: H 1 (Brinkman), RT 2 (J. Messer, Naumann). Turnovers: Hazen 14, RT 15.