LIBERTY – The Liberty Redhawks faced a challenging match on Saturday, February 28, during the opening round of Sectionals, ultimately falling 78-57 against the Marlboro Iron Dukes. 

From the outset, the Iron Dukes dictated the tempo of the game. Showing remarkable speed and effective ball movement, and making it difficult for the Redhawks to keep pace. Marlboro’s defense featured a relentless full-court press, leaving the Redhawks struggling to get past half-court. Outplaying the Redhawks on the glass, stifling putback attempts, and picking up every loose ball showed the tenacity of the Iron Dukes.

Marlboro’s offensive dominance was evident in their shooting, finishing the game with roughly 70 percent shooting from the field. Their ability to convert on fast breaks was trouble for the home team; scoring over twenty points in transition during the first half alone, putting Liberty behind early. The Iron Dukes quickly established a 42-29 lead, one that would widen as the game pushed forward.

The Redhawks, traditionally known for their sharp 3-point shooting skills, struggled to find their rhythm beyond the arc on Saturday. Although they began strong from deep, the ball just wouldn’t drop late in the game. Liberty’s top performers included Zack Alvord, who led the team with 17 points, followed by Tyleal Aubain with 14 points, and Adrien Ferguson contributing 12.

Marlboro showed balanced scoring with four players reaching double digits: Mateo Sajous led with 19 points, followed by Liam Correa with 18, Jaxon Sarinsky with 15, and Caleb Sullivan with 12. 

Both coaches commended the efforts of their team. Liberty’s head coach, Matt Robinson, praised his players for their resilience, noting the difficulty of the matchup with limited preparation time. “We only had about 24 hours of prep, so I watched a lot of film on them. They’re a good team, a solid team...it’s a tough way to go out, but I’m proud of my guys; it was a great year,” Robinson said.

Iron Dukes Coach Ryan Brooks told the Democrat, “Our game plan was to come in and use the press. It’s something we haven’t shown all year; it was an advantage for us. It’s something they haven’t scouted on us in any film. Since they are bigger than us, we dropped into a zone, and this way we could take care of their rebounding and shooters.”