Sometimes the toughest games are the ones where everyone already knows each other. By the time Friday night rolled around, Marshfield and West Plains had already seen plenty of one another this season. But with a district title on the line, that familiarity didn’t make things any easier.
With three teams ranked in the Class 5 top ten and two more getting votes, District 6 has been about as stacked as it gets. To come out on top, a team needs a little extra something.
For Marshfield, that spark came from sophomore Miley Austin.
Austin, a 5-foot-7 guard, came off the bench and scored 12 points to help lift the Blue Jays to a 65-51 win over sixth-ranked West Plains in the Class 5 District 6 championship. Quinn Aldridge and Izzy Cherne also finished with 12 points apiece as Marshfield claimed the title once again.
The Blue Jays didn’t waste much time getting started.
Marshfield jumped out to a 16-5 lead in the opening quarter. Austin and Aldridge helped set the tone early, combining for 10 points in that first stretch while the Blue Jays settled in on defense.
Head coach Trish Marsh said she knew her team would have to weather a few storms.
“I told them that West Plains is a great team, and to beat them three times would be very tough,” Marsh said. “They’re going to have runs in them. We just have to survive those runs, and our kids answered every time.”
Marshfield’s defense locked in and made life difficult for the Zizzers. West Plains managed just two uncontested shots in the first half, and Marshfield carried a 26-14 lead into the locker room.
A big part of that defensive effort was slowing down West Plains star Gillian Green. The talented sophomore was held scoreless in the first half and finished with just four points before the break. Marshfield rotated defenders Peyton Ward, Kendyl Dolan and Paris Peacock on Green throughout the night.
Marsh said the idea was simple. Keep fresh legs on her and give her different looks.
“Green is just a really good player, and she can go get a bucket any time,” Marsh said. “I think we were just continuing to rotate fresh bodies on her and just give a different look. Each of those players bring something different to the table, and I thought we did a good job.”.
Late in the third quarter, she got rolling. Green poured in 10 points in the period and helped spark a West Plains push that cut Marshfield’s lead to 42-34.
That momentum carried into the fourth quarter. Green completed a three-point play that trimmed the lead to six, and for a moment it felt like West Plains might finally break through.
That’s when Austin stepped in.
On back-to-back possessions, the speedy guard attacked the lane and finished at the basket. Just like that, Marshfield pushed the lead back out with a quick 4-0 burst.
“I just had a big adrenaline rush,” Austin said. “I was ready to be there for my team and be in the spots I needed to be in.”
Marsh couldn’t hide how proud she was of the sophomore’s timing.
“When kids come off the bench and do something like that — big shot, big moment — you’re just so proud of them to step up and make something happen,” Marsh said. “For Miley, that’s huge. She’s just a sophomore. She gets minutes, and when she gets them, she makes the most of them.”
While Austin delivered a spark, Marshfield star Peyton Ward helped in a different way.
The 6-foot-2 all-state forward faced constant attention from the Zizzers defense and spent much of the night setting up teammates instead of hunting shots.
“Peyton is a smart player,” Aldridge said. “She knows when they’re face-guarding her, and she knows how to facilitate the ball and just get it to her teammates. That was huge for us.”
Ward eventually added seven points in the final quarter, and the Blue Jays calmly knocked down seven of eight free throws late to seal the win.
For West Plains head coach Christy Otter, the loss stung, but she also knew just how tough the road had been all season.
“We are absolutely in the toughest district in the state,” Otter said. “The same year we have really great, high-level players, so does everyone else. There’s just such great talent in southwest Missouri.”
West Plains finishes the season at 19-10 after falling to Marshfield in the district title game for the third straight year.
Still, Otter said this group helped put Lady Zizzers basketball back on the map.
The Zizzers say goodbye to six seniors — Lucy Hafer, Zoe Scharnhorst, Shaylee Peterson, Zoe Shrubb, Cameron Brill and Jewella Willard.
“I hated the ending for these six seniors,” Otter said. “They are amazing kids. When we came in two years ago as a new staff, they welcomed us with open arms.”
As for Marshfield, the season rolls on.
The Blue Jays improve to 26-3 and now turn their attention to the sectional round on March 13, where they’ll face Helias Catholic at Lebanon. The Crusaders come in with a 13-15 record after winning the District 5 championship.
And if Friday night showed anything, it’s this — Marshfield has more than one player ready when the moment gets big. Sometimes, that extra spark comes from the bench. And sometimes, it comes from a sophomore who simply decides it’s her time.
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