The Fredericktown girls basketball team opened with an 11-0 first quarter and rolled from there to its fifth consecutive win, a 62-32 decision over visiting Utica in non-league play on Tuesday, Dec. 29, in Fredericktown.
Jacklyn Nussbaum had 15 points, Audrey Bouton and Gabby Daniels scored 10 points apiece, and Jill Bouton chipped in nine points for the Freddies (6-3), who led 23-5 at the break and 45-19 through three quarters.
Shawna Blake had 13 points to lead Utica (1-8).
Mount Gilead 48, Marion Elgin 31
Host Mount Gilead erupted for 20 points in the third quarter to take the lead and cruise to a 48-31 victory over Elgin in non-league play on Tuesday, Dec. 29, in Mount Gilead.
Candace Millisor scored 10 of her game-high 14 points in the third period to lead MG, which had been held to three points in the second quarter and trailed 14-11 at the break.
Holly Gompf scored 12 points and Madilyn Elson added nine for MG (7-3), which bounced back after two consecutive losses.
Molly Hafer had 11 points to lead the Comets (0-9), who led 8-7 after one quarter.
Cardington-Lincoln 51, River Valley 41
The Pirates caught fire from long range with five 3-pointers to take a 21-4 lead after one quarter. They parlayed that into a 51-41 win over host River Valley in non-league play on Tuesday, Dec. 29, in Caledonia.
Beth Hardwick had 15 points on the strength of three 3-pointers to lead Cardington. Karsyn Edwards also connected on three triples, finishing with nine points. Dana Bertke and Mikayla Linkous each scored nine points as well for the Pirates (8-0).
Brooklyn Mosher and Hannah Logan scored 14 points apiece to pace the Vikings (5-2), who used a 21-9 second quarter to pull within five at the break before Cardington pushed the lead to 10 with a 12-7 third period.
Columbus Academy 39, Centerburg 34
Sophie Spolter scored seven of her 13 points to help the visiting Vikings build a 13-9 lead after one quarter, a hole the Trojans just couldn’t climb out of in a 39-34 non-league setback on Tuesday, Dec. 29, in Centerburg.
Chloe Goulter had 11 points and Clara Johnson added 10 points for Centerburg (3-7), which is in the midst of a five-game skid.
Kayla McClendon led the Vikings (1-2) with 16 points.
BOYS BASKETBALL
McKinnon Mead and Landon Griffith combined for five 3-pointers in a 27-5 third quarter to help the Trojans open up a big lead. Centerburg rolled to a 69-42 non-league win over Patriot Prep in the first round of the Bobcat Classic at Grandview Heights on Tuesday, Dec. 29.
Mead scored 11 of his 14 points, Griffith scored all six of his points and Isaiah Reynolds scored eight of his 12 points — all 2-pointers — in the third to help the Trojans (7-1) balloon the lead. Carter Jones was held scoreless in the period but led Centerburg with 15 points.
Darius Ogburn had a game-high 19 points and Dwayne Gilmore added 10 for the Eagles (4-1), who trailed 14-9 after the first quarter and 24-20 at the break.
The Trojans face the host Bobcats for the title Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Tree of Life 53, Danville 48
Wyatt Weckesser scored a game-high 17 points, but the host Blue Devils couldn’t climb out of a seven-point deficit at the end of the first quarter and fell to Tree of Life 53-48 in non-league play on Tuesday, Dec. 29, in Danville.
Walker Weckesser and Max Payne added nine points apiece for Devils (0-6).
Micah Fisher scored 15 points and David Crow had 12 to lead the Trojans (3-2).
Northmor 48, Galion 32
Preston Harbolt poured in a game-high 21 points to lead the host Golden Knights to a 48-32 win over Galion in non-league play on Tuesday, Dec. 29, in Galion.
Max Lower had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Logan Mariotti added nine points and three steals for Northmor (2-6).
Brayden Eckels went for eight points and eight boards to lead the Tigers (0-8), who led 10-8 after one quarter before falling behind 23-17 at the break and 34-22 after three.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Jevon Knox scored 28 points, surpassing 1,800 career points along the way. But Mount Vernon Nazarene University couldn’t climb out of a seven-point halftime deficit and fell 85-77 to the University of St. Francis (Ill.) in the New Year’s Classic in Joliet, Ill. on Tuesday, Dec. 29.
Knox, who shot 11 of 22 from the floor to lead all scorers, added eight rebounds to his ledger to lead the Cougars, who built a 10-point lead in the first half and led 34-27 with 6:05 remaining before the Fighting Saints (6-2) went on a 15-0 run.
St. Francis inflated the lead to 15 on several occasions in the second half and MVNU couldn’t get over the hump.
Kade Ruegsegger had 16 points, four assists and three steals and Eric McLaughlin and Clay Hilliard added 10 points apiece for the Cougars (3-6), who also got 12 rebounds from Carter Pline.
Deandre Johnson had 17 points and four boards; Carlos Tovias had 12 points; Eric Ting added 11 points, four steals and three helpers and Russell Tillery chipped in 10 points and five assists for the Saints.
The Cougars were supposed to conclude the showcase against Holy Cross College today, but that game was canceled because of COVID-19 protocols.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MVNU couldn’t overcome a 13-0 deficit to start and fell 85-77 at the University of Rio Grande in non-conference play on Tuesday, Dec. 29, in Rio Grande.
MVNU’s Rylee Pireu buried a 3-pointer with 3 minutes left in the third quarter to tie the score at 42. But the Red Storm (4-6) closed the third with a 14-3 rally and never surrendered the lead again.
Pireu led the Cougars (3-6) with 28 points, Erin Boehm scored 14 points and Rachel Perry added 10 points. Taylor Gregory pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds to go with seven points for MVNU.
Caitlyn Brisker scored 20 points, Avery Harper added 15 points and Hailey Jordan chipped in 10 points for Rio Grande, who pushed its lead to as much as 16 in the fourth quarter.
BOWLING
The Fredericktown boys and girls bowling teams made a clean sweep of Centerburg in Knox Morrow Athletic Conference play at Trio Lanes in Fredericktown on Thursday, Dec. 17.
Macy Neer led the Freddies to a 1,739-1,231 victory with a 332 series in girls play. Madi Dennis’ 269 series paced the Trojans.
In boys action, Griffin Wayne posted the only 200-game and finished with a 360 series to lead the Freddies, who won 1,808-1,703. Justin Zollars (332 series) and Chase Keyes (341) backed Wayne.
Zack Jagger led the Trojans with a 322 series.
