By Anthony Robinson

Three Trojann basketball players and the Trojanns’ manager were honored Tuesday night, Feb. 9. Players  Taylor Young, Jessica Arneson, Sierra Worth, and manager Christy Stevens were honored for their senior leadership during the 2010-2011 Trojann basketball season. The Trojanns were unable to win the final home game for these four young women, as the Denison Monarchs defeated the Trojanns 56-38.

After an early three-point basket by junior Paige Kennon, the Trojanns led for the first and only time during the entire game.  The Monarchs went on a 13-0 run against the Trojanns’ 2-3 zone defense to build a 10-point lead and never look back. The Trojanns were forced switch to a man-to-man defense to try to stop the sharpshooting Monarchs. Denison led 18-7 after the first.

The Trojanns were able to push the issue down low, getting easy lay-ups. Junior forward Alex Hartwig had six first-half points. The Monarchs were able to make four three-point field goals in the first half. The Monarchs led 27-19 at the half.

After a three-point basket by Arneson, the Trojanns trailed by only six points early in the third. However, just as in the first quarter, the Monarchs went on another big run to put the game out of reach for the Trojanns. Denison went on a 12-0 run to take a 42-24 lead with under two minutes to play in the third quarter. Denison led by their largest margin of the game at the end of the third, 46-26.

After scoring only two points in the first half, Young went on a shooting tear in the fourth quarter. Young scored nine straight points for the Trojanns to put the Trojanns within striking distance. Young finished with 15 points for the Trojanns.

Just as scripted, it was only fitting that senior Sierra Worth, the quiet leader of the Trojanns’, hit the Tr0janns’ only free throw of the entire game with less than a minute to play in the final quarter.  The Trojanns went  one for four from the free throw line during the night. “I thought we were fairly aggreesive,” head coach Casey Pelzer said, “It wasn’t much of a physical game. We definitely need to get there (the free throw line) more than that.”  The Trojanns came into the game averaging almost 15 free throw attempts per game.

The Trojanns were unable to score after Worth’s free throw. The Monarchs defeated the Trojanns 56-38.

The Monarchs were led by Junior Bailey Ellerbeck with 17 points. Ellerbeck hit three from behind the arc, and went six for seven from the charity stripe.

The Monarchs shot 17 free throws, making 13 of them. “Our defensive wasn’t very good, they beat us off the dribble a lot through out the night,” Pelzer said. He said that this contributed to a lot of reaching fouls that sent the Monarchs to the line.

The Trojanns travel to Harlan, Thursday night to take on the Harlan Cyclones.

The Trojanns face Denison again on Wednesday, Feb. 16 in Denison, during the first round of Class 3A, Region 8 postseason play.