By Rob Hamilton

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After a slow start on Friday, Cardington rallied past visiting Centerburg for a 49-42 win. With both Northmor and Elgin both losing that night, the Pirates clinched the Blue Division title with their win.

The Trojans jumped out to a 15-9 lead after the first quarter, but a big second period by the Pirates boosted them in front by a 28-21 margin. They would increase their lead to 38-28 after three and then held on for the victory.

Sage Brannon tallied 14 points to lead Cardington, while Kyndall Spires added 11 and Casey Bertke scored nine and added 17 rebounds.

Northmor Knights

Northmor suffered a setback on Friday by a 51-45 margin at home against Fredericktown.

The Freddies got out to a fast start, taking a 20-15 lead after eight minutes of play. They would then outscore Northmor 11-8 in the second quarter and 12-9 in the third to move up by a 43-32 margin. The Knights took a 13-8 advantage in the fourth, but their comeback bid fell a bit short in the league contest.

Maddie Swihart connected on four three-pointers and tallied 16 in the game for the Knights.

Highland Scots

Highland claimed another league win on Friday, defeating visiting Elgin by a 49-40 margin.

The Scots got off to a fast start, taking a 14-8 lead after the first quarter. They led 28-21 at the half, but Elgin cut two points off their lead in the third quarter. However, the locals would outscore the Comets 11-7 in the fourth to finish with a nine-point win.

Both Taylor Belcher and Kenzie Fuller tallied 14 points, while Madison Cecil added eight.

Mount Gilead Indians

Mount Gilead couldn’t get off the ground offensively in suffering a 39-19 loss at East Knox on Friday.

The Bulldogs took an 8-3 lead after the first quarter and increased that to a 14-3 margin at the half. MG trimmed a point off their deficit in the third period, but could not maintain that momentum into the fourth in losing the decision.

Rob Hamilton can be reached at 419-946-3010, ext. 1807. Connect with him on Twitter at @SportsMCS