Photo by Jake McNeill: Marshall guard Taleigha Bigler (right) lunges for a loose ball during the first half of a prep girls basketball game against Fairmont on Saturday in Marshall.

This story will be updated with stats quotes and details

MARSHALL — In a game that started as a slow defensive battle, the top-ranked Marshall girls basketball team found a way to generate offense halfway through the first half of its game against Fairmont on Saturday. From there, the Cardinals had no answer for the Tigers, who went on to claim a 59-34 victory.

Buckets were hard to come by early on in Saturday’s game Both teams went scoreless for the game’s first two minutes until Gwyneth Schultz got Fairmont on the board with a second-chance basket.

Yet, Marshall got on the scoreboard after another pair of scoreless minutes, when Taleigha Bigler rebounded a miss and kicked it out to Avery Schneekloth for 3. Marshall retained the edge on the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.

The Cardinals stayed within arm’s length of the Tigers until after a pair of free throws from Makayla Lowry cut Marshall’s lead to 10-7 with 11 minutes to play. The Tigers went on a run from there, scoring 15 unanswered points and bringing their lead to more than 20 points.

Paige Gillingham ignited the Tiger run with an and-1 layup and Reese Drake followed with a pair of baskets of her own, the latter of which Gillingham set up by stealing an inbound pass. Another Schneekloth layup and a pair of 3-pointers from Drake wrapped up Marshall’s run with a 25-7 lead with seven minutes remaining.

Drake finished the night with a game-high 26 points on 9 of 19 shooting with six 3s. Avery Schneekloth also scored 15 points on 6 of 13 shooting while Paige Gillingham added another 10 points.

Drake also tied Bigler with a game-high six assists, each also turning it over four times.

Brylee Miller put Fairmont back on the scoreboard with a third-chance layup and then hit a 3-pointer on her next trip down the court. Yet, it was too little, too late as Marshall continued to pile on for a 35-13 halftime lead.

Miller tied Kennedy Becker as Fairmont’s leading scorer in the game, recording 12 points each. Miller shot 5 of 12 from the field while Becker shot 4 of 8. Miller’s three assists wer also a team-high.

Even when the Tigers couldn’t get shots to fall early, their defense allowed them to remain in charge. Before the start of their offensive run, Schneekloth forced a tie-up and Gillingham got a steal in the backcourt, though neither turned into points.

It wasn’t until Bigler got a steal and turned it into a layup that the Tiger offense started clicking, and Drake hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to make it an 8-2 game in favor of the Tigers.

Marshall’s defense continued to look strong in the second half as the Tigers held the Cardinals scoreless for the first five minutes. During that span, Drake hit a 3-pointer and Schneekloth and Avery Fahl each hit a 2, while Gillingham fronted the defense with a drawn charge and a steal.

The Tigers finished the night with 20 turnovers to Fairmont’s 20. Bigler and Gillingham each tallied four steals for the Tigers.

Trailing 40-15, Miller briefly sparked some momentum for the Cardinals by knocking down a 3 and hitting a transition layup to make the score 42-20. Yet, Drake answered with a 3 to surpass the 20-point mark as an individual on the night and keep Marshall’s lead at 25 points.

Marshall finished the night with a 28-23 rebounding advantage, including a 15-5 edge on the offensive glass. Drake’s four offensive boards were a game-high and her six total rebounds tied Gillingham for a team-high. Miller led Fairmont with six total rebounds and two offensive rebounds.

Marshall remains undefeated at a perfect 17-0 with the win. The Tigers will aim to capture their 18th victory when they host Worthington (1-14) on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. The Tigers beat the Trojans 79-35 in the teams’ first meeting of the season on Dec. 13.

Fairmont, now 10-4 on the season, will next go on the road for a matchup against Belle Plaine on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.