RACHEL — The North Marion Huskies, the top seed in WVSSAC Class AAA Region 1, defeated the No. 5 John Marshall Monarchs on Tuesday, 72-44, pulling away in the second half to advance to the WVSSAC Boys Basketball State Tournament, set to start next week.

John Marshall and North Marion played to a virtual stalemate in the first half, with the Huskies leading by a slim 30-27 margin when both teams went back to the locker rooms.

The third quarter, though, went in North Marion’s favor, and John Marshall trailed 52-29 going into the fourth quarter.

North Marion will go into the state tournament as the No. 2 seed, and will face No. 7 Shady Spring on March 18.

John Marshall advanced to Tuesday’s Regional Co-Final by defeating No. 4 Grafton in a first-round playoff game, 54-36. The Monarchs end their season with a 10-13 record.