The East Knox boys basketball team used a stout defense in the middle two quarters to overcome an early deficit on its way to a 56-42 victory over Mansfield Christian in non-league play on Tuesday, Jan. 5, in Howard.
Trailing 19-12 after one quarter, East Knox held the visiting Flames to just 14 points over the next two quarters as it built a 42-33 advantage.
Weston Melick poured in 22 points and Shane Knepp had 12 points to lead the Bulldogs (4-4), who notched their third straight win.
Logan Cyphers led the Flames (1-8) with 16 points, and Braden Loose and Amaar Davis had nine points apiece.
Mount Gilead 61, Marion Pleasant 53
Matthew Bland scored seven points and Elijah Chafin had six in the fourth quarter to lift host Mount Gilead to a 61-53 win over Pleasant in non-league play on Tuesday, Jan. 5, in Mount Gilead.
Bland finished with 24 points, and Chafin and Jackson Huffer added 12 points apiece to lead MG (3-6).
Wiley Smith had 16 points, Trey Booker scored 13 points and Kaden Ralston added 10 points for the Spartans (3-8).
Fredericktown 69, Granville Christian 43
The sixth-ranked Freddies opened with a 20-9 first quarter and never looked back in a 69-43 non-league win over Granville Christian.
Lincoln Cunningham scored 16 points and Caleb Sheriff backed him with 13 points to lead the Freddies (9-0), who led 39-22 at the break and 54-27 through three quarters.
Joe Benvie led the Lions (2-3) with 23 points and Brendon Austin added 17 points.
Loudonville 72, Danville 42
Jacob Gessner poured in 23 points to lead the host Redbirds to a lopsided 72-42 non-league win over Danville on Tuesday, Dec. 5, in Loudonville.
Loudonville jumped out to a 10-5 lead after one quarter and went 48-27 over the next two quarters to open it up.
Cam Miller scored 14 points and Darren Mickley added nine points to lead the Blue Devils (0-8).
Kyle Maltrich and Zack Frankford added 10 points apiece to back Gessner for the Redbirds (5-4).
MEN’S BASKETBALL
MVNU couldn’t overcome a 29-4 run in the first half by host Indiana University of Technology and fell 78-67 in non-conference play on Tuesday, Jan. 5, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Grant Smith went for 18 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three assists; and Josh Kline had 11 points and seven boards to lead the Warriors (7-6), who led 43-28 at the break and pushed the lead to as to as much as 23 on a couple of occasions in the second half.
Lucas Lehman had 11 points and four rebounds; Rog Stein scored 10 points and Cory McKinney dished out seven assists for Indiana Tech.
Clay Hilliard had 15 points, three rebounds and a pair of assists; Jevon Knox added 13 points, four rebounds and a couple of steals; and Gichairo Berika chipped in 12 points to lead the Cougars (2-5).
BOWLING
Koda Warren rolled a pair of 200 games and the host Lakewood boys bowling team defeated Utica 2,193-1,780 in Licking County League play on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at Village Lanes in Thornville.
Warren finished with a 416 series to lead the Lancers, and Blake French led Utica with a 378 series.
Elizabeth Leffman rolled a 319 series and Becca Price was close behind with a 309 series to lead the Lakewood girls team to a 1,722-1,690 victory.
The Utica girls team was led by Meredith Pierpont (321 series) and Karen Lightle (309).
