FARMINGTON --- Marion got an early test from a plucky Van Buren squad here Tuesday evening, but when the Patriots got it going, they really got it going.
Marion led Van Buren 16-9 after the first quarter, but opened up a 35-23 lead at halftime before leading by as many as 26 in the second half, cruising to a 71-49 victory in the opening round of the Class 5A state basketball tournament at Cardinal Arena.
The Patriots are back in action Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. against the winner of the Sheridan-Greenbrier tilt, and should Marion win that game, then the Pats would be in Saturday's semifinal at 1:30 p.m.
You can watch every Marion boys basketball game at the Class 5A state basketball tournament live and for free on the MPAN YouTube channel.
Marion (27-4 overall) got a Herculean effort from seniors Jalen Neal and Chandler Randle, who scored 21 and 18 points, respectively, against the Pointers, while Karlyal Hyland finished with 10.
Van Buren claimed an early 6-4 lead in the first period, but Marion promptly responded with a 9-0 run to remove some drama.
Five Patriots scored in the game's first eight minutes, led by Randle's seven points.
Neal took over in the second stanza, scoring 13 of his 15 first-half points, to close quarter No. 2, and Marion led at halftime by 12.
The Marion defense forced five Pointer turnovers in the third period, when Randle scored seven more points, as the two-time defending 5A East champions pushed out in front by 22 points to open the fourth period.