Yellow Jackets get two 20-point performances but lose to Ashland, 67-65
Mount Vernon rode two big scoring nights to a fourth-quarter lead but was overtaken by Ashland, 67-65, Jan. 7.
Nolan Belcher scored 22, Trevor Buttke poured in 20, and the Jackets (5-7, 3-2 OCC) got 13 points from Caden Rowland, but their big nights were for naught as Ashland improved to 7-7 and 4-2 in OCC play on a 35-point night by Garrett Denbow.
Mount Vernon took a 12-9 first-quarter lead, but Denbow hit from three-point range – he had five threes in the game – and took the lead before halftime, 27-21.
The Jackets came out storming in the third and scored 27 points in the quarter to own a 48-45 lead after three, but the Arrows put in 22 in the fourth to come away with the two-point victory.
Strong first half propels Bulldogs to 41-26 win over Pirates
Balanced scoring led East Knox to a 10-5 first-quarter lead, with Peyton Lester sinking a three for EK and Andrew Brehm rainbowing one for C-L. In the second, the Bulldogs doubled up on the Pirates again, 16-8, with Shane Knepp hitting for 10 in the EK second and Gavyn Crockett getting five for C-L. EK took a 26-13 lead at halftime.
In the third, the Pirates could not mount a charge but won the quarter, 8-7. Cardington got threes from Crockett and Connor McIe, and Knepp scored four points in the quarter for EK.
In the fourth, EK took care of business and closed the game out with balanced scoring from four players, and McIe hit another three for C-L.
Knepp’s 18 points were tops in the game, and he was supported by Dillon Moreland’s 10 and Lester’s seven for East Knox. Crockett and Brehm each scored eight to lead Cardington.
East Knox improved to 8-3 on the season and 6-1 in KMAC play, and Cardington-Lincoln fell to 3-9, 1-6 KMAC.
Northmor outlasts Danville in OT, 78-72
Northmor utilized huge scoring nights from Grant Bentley and Graesin Cass and withstood a fourth-quarter comeback by Danville to prevail in overtime, 78-72.
Danville went up 17-12 in the first quarter despite an eight-point burst by Bentley on five points apiece from Walker Weckesser and Max Payne.
The Golden Knights took the lead before the halftime buzzer at 30-29 on a 14-point barrage by Cass.
The third quarter was a 16-point scoring show by Bentley, and Northmor went into the fourth ahead 50-44. A charge by the Blue Devils tied the game at 67-67 at the end of regulation. An 11-5 OT run secured the win for the Knights. Cass put in 13 points in the fourth and OT combined, and Cam Miller countered with 11 points in the two sessions.
Bentley finished with a game-high 31 points for Northmor, and his teammate Cass had 29. Logan Mariotti added nine for the Knights. Danville was led by Weckesser with 19, Miller had 17, Payne scored 13, Darren Mickley added 10, and Wyatt Weckesser put in nine.
Max Lower pulled down seven boards for Northmor, Cass added four assists to his point barrage, and Mariotti and Bentley each had three steals.
Northmor is now 7-5 on the season 4-3 in the KMAC and Danville drops to 2-9 and 1-7 in conference.
Flying Scots play strong second half but lose to Vikings, 66-53
Highland (3-7, 0-4 Mid-Ohio), was beaten in the first half, and even a battling second half could not deprive River Valley (7-4, 6-1 Mid-Ohio) of a 66-53 victory Jan. 6.
River Valley got most of its scoring from sophomore Carson Smith, who finished with 33 points on 9-for-15 from the field, including 5-for-10 from 3-point range. Smith also converted 10 of 12 at the foul line.
In the first, RV got scoring from six players, and Smith sank two threes, while Highland had four players score, led by Jordan Bellamy’s five. The Vikings took an 18-14 first-quarter lead and added to that as the game went on. The Vikings outscored the flying Scots in the second, 14-6, to extend their lead to 32-20 at halftime.
A tight second half didn’t affect the outcome as RV put up 15 points in the third to 13 for Highland to make the score 47-33 after three. In the third, Highland hit three deuces and seven free throws, with Bellamy sinking a two and five foul shots.
Even a 20-point fourth quarter for the Scots couldn’t cut into the Vikings’ lead as RV put up 19, 12 by Smith, to win by 13. Bellamy, who was 9-for-12 at the line during the game, sank four more foul shots and a three in the quarter. Rider Minnick put in three deuces, a three and a free throw for 10 points in the fourth.
The Flying Scots wound up with five scorers in the game, three of whom hit double figures. Bellamy led Highland with 21 points, Minnick hit for 16, and Garrett Fitzpatrick scored 11.
