Centerburg sits atop KMAC with 54-36 win over Northmor
Centerburg continued its strong season with a 54-36 win over Northmor on Saturday in a game in which the Trojans led out of the gate and never looked back.
The Trojans sit alone at the top of KMAC with a 12-2 record while Northmor is in the middle of the pack at 8-8.
The first quarter ended with a 20-6 lead for the Trojans, thanks to six points apiece by Alex Johnson and Colton Martin. McKinnon Mead and Levi Houck each had four points. The Northmor offense woke up against the solid Centerburg squad to outscore the Trojans 14-9 in the second and make it a four-point game at the half.
In the third quarter, Northmor continued to inch back, outscoring Centerburg 13-9, but the fourth quarter was a disaster for the Golden Knights, with Centerburg trouncing Northmor 16-3 to close out the game. Johnson put up six points in the quarter for Centerburg.
Leading the scoring for Centerburg was Johnson with 14 points, followed closely by Houck with 13 points. The leading scorer in the division this year is Mead at 18.8 points per game, but Northmor did a good job containing him at only nine points.
Northmor was led by sophomore Grant Bentley, who had nine points. Senior Graesin Cass had seven points, including 2-for-4 from 3-point range. Junior Maxton Lower had seven boards and a steal to go with five points.
Huge third quarter seals Freddies' win over Pirates, 73-38
Fredericktown won its seventh in a row, as it downed a struggling Cardington-Lincoln squad by 35 points in a game it led from the start and built on each quarter.
The Freddies put the Jan. 21 game away with a 16-point advantage in the third quarter. With the 73-38 victory, the Freddies improved to 9-7 on the season, 6-5 in KMAC, while Cardington fell to 3-12 overall and 1-9 KMAC.
The Freddies took a 17-12 lead after one on eight points by Brady Lester and four by Kaid Carpenter. The Pirates countered with a hot first quarter from Andrew Brehm, who scored all eight of his game points in the first, on two threes and a deuce.
Fredericktown went up 33-23 at halftime on a second-quarter run led by five points each from Lester and Xavier Mullins. C-L got two 2-pointers in the second from Merek McClure and a three from Journey Williamson.
After halftime, the Freddies put the game away with a 23-7 third quarter to make the score 56-30 after three. The Freddies’ onslaught was led by Teegan Ruhl, who hit five field goals for 10 points, and Carpenter, who netted three deuces and a three for nine points. Williamson drained another three for C-L, but the Pirates hit only two other field goals in the quarter.
In the fourth, Fredericktown took care of business with a 17-8 final frame. Luke Bean rainbowed two from beyond the arc for six points, as five Freddies hit the scorebook in the quarter. Of Cardington’s eight points in the fourth, Williamson’s third three was the highlight.
Fredericktown received scoring contributions from eight players and was led Carpenter with 18, Ruhl with 17 and Lester with 16. The Trojans had seven scorers, none of whom reached double figures. They were led by Williamson, with nine on three threes.
Danville knocks off Mount Gilead, 65-54, beats Patriot Prep, 42-37
The Danville boys’ basketball team took on Mount. Gilead at home on Jan. 21 and while it was tight going into the final quarter, Kendall Carter rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter with nine points to help lead the Blue Devils to victory, 65-54, to improve to 5-10. The loss put Mount Gilead at 6-9
The Blue Devils came out flat to start the game with only seven first-quarter points, with the Indians taking an early 16-7 lead, thanks to 10 points, including a pair of threes, by Elijah Chafin, who currently averages 17.6 points per game, good for second in the league. However, it was Danville who showed up in the second quarter, outscoring Mount Gilead 22-7 to go up 29-23 at the half. Darren Mickley had a pair of threes to lead the scoring, but buckets were evenly distributed throughout the Danville squad.
The strong shooting for Danville continued in the third quarter, with a 21-point showing highlighted by eight points by Wyatt Weckesser. Mount Gilead scored 13 points to make it a 50-36 game entering the final quarter.
Wyatt Weckesser led Danville scorers with 16 points, and Walker Weckesser also hit double figures with 10 points in the win. Max Payne and Mickley each had nine points.
Mount Gilead was led by Chafin, who put up a game-high 19 points. Carter also had a solid performance with 14 points. Paul Butterman put up nine points.
Danville out-rebounded the Mount Gilead squad, 33-26 and had 10 more assists in the game, but both teams shot well at 45% and 49% with Danville hitting 35% from three point range.
The next night, the Blue Devils reigned again, improving to 6-10 with a 42-37 victory over Patriot Prep Academy on Saturday, marking the third straight win for the Blue Devils. Patriot Prep fell to 3-14 with the loss.
Patriot Prep started dismally, managing only three points in the first on a shot by Dominic Sammons. The Blue Devils scored 12 points in the quarter, with four points from Levi Lyons to lead the way. Mickley and Cam Miller had a 3-pointer each, and Walker Weckesser rounded out the scoring with a basket.
The shooting woes continued for Patriot Prep in the second, as it was held to only four points on baskets by Cameron Thomas and Sammons. Danville put up 11 points, with Carter scoring four points and Mickley adding his second three of the day.
The score was 23-7 at halftime, but Patriot Prep found its footing in the third quarter, putting up 16 points and holding Danville to only nine to make it a 32-23 game going into the fourth quarter. Mickley’s three-point shooting accounted for all of the offense for Danville, as he drained three from behind the arc. Patriot Prep benefited from six points by Keith Prysock, Jr.
Patriot Prep continued to mount its comeback in the fourth quarter, but it was too big of a deficit to overcome. Danville was outscored 14-10 in the final frame but did enough to stave off a final surge by Patriot Prep.
Mickley was the top scorer for Danville with 15 points thanks to his efficient 3-point shooting. Miller added eight points in the win.
Prysock and Sammons each had 11 points for Patriot Prep.
Pleasant comes from behind for win over Highland, 46-44
Despite holding a 16-8 first-quarter lead and a 37-29 advantage going into the final frame, Highland watched Pleasant come from behind for a 46-44 win on the road. Pleasant and Highland now have identical 5-9 records.
Highland came out looking great with a pair of threes by Jordan Bellamy and one by Brock Church to lead the scoring. Pleasant managed only two threes – one apiece by Wiley Smith and Nick Blubaugh – in the quarter.
Pleasant woke up in the second quarter, scoring 17 points and holding Highland to only seven to make it a 25-23 game at the half. Sophomore point guard Trey Booker scored all 12 of his points in the quarter, and Blubaugh added his second three of the game. Rider Minnick had five points int he quarter for Highland.
With the game tight going into the third quarter, Highland outscored Pleasant 14-4, with Garrett Fitzpatrick scoring six points and Church putting up six of his nine points. But in the final quarter, it was all Spartans, outscoring Highland 17-7, highlighted by five points for Wiley Smith.
Leading the scoring was Booker with 12 points, and Blubaugh also hit double figures with 10 points.
Fitzpatrick led all scorers with 15 points in the game for Highland.
While Highland led in the rebounding department, assists, steals and blocks, Pleasant made 13 free throws down the stretch that were key in the victory. Pleasant shot 72% from the line, which saved it as the Spartans only shot 32% from the field.
