By Rob Hamilton
Highland broke into the win column on Friday when they topped visiting Danville by a 44-25 margin.
The Scots trailed 7-6 after the first period of play, but dominated the second quarter to lead 22-10 at the half. They would go on to outscore their opponents 10-8 in the third period and 12-7 in the fourth to earn the decision.
Branton Howard, Drew Santo and Jordan Bellamy all scored 10 points in the game to lead the locals.
The team couldn’t make it two in a row on Saturday, though, as they were edged in overtime by Utica in a 48-43 game.
It was a back-and-forth game through four quarters. Highland led 8-7 after the opening period, but their opponents came back to lead 19-12 at the half. The Scots went back on top by a 30-28 margin by the end of the third, but the Redskins tied the score at 43 to end regulation. Utica then scored all five points tallied in the extra session to escape with the win.
Bellamy’s 16 points led all scorers, while Gavin Hankins and Bryant Marcum both had nine.
Northmor Golden Knights
Northmor bounced back on Friday when they hosted Fredericktown in a league contest.
The Golden Knights took a 10-6 lead after the first quarter of their 55-41 win. Their lead grew throughout the game, with them in front 23-14 at the half and 42-31 going into the final period of play.
Northmor had balanced scoring in the game, with Logan Randolph connecting four times from long range in scoring 12 points. Blake Miller added 11, while both Hunter Mariotti and Graesin Cass finished with 10 and Kooper Keen scored eight.
Mount Gilead Indians
Mount Gilead outlasted visiting East Knox on Friday to win 66-62 in double overtime.
The team trailed 10-9 after the first quarter, but rallied to hold a 20-17 lead at the break. The Bulldogs tied the score at 27 after three periods of play and both teams would then score nine in the fourth and 15 in the first overtime before MG was able to hold a 15-11 edge in the second extra session.
Nathan Rogers led the Indians with 23 points, while Jackson Huffer hit four three-pointers in adding 19 and Matthew Bland finished with 11.
Cardington Pirates
Centerburg pulled away from Cardington in the third quarter of Friday’s 56-42 basketball game, which was won by the Trojans.
After trailing 12-8 after the first quarter of play, Cardington battled back to within a 25-24 margin at the half. However, they were outscored 21-9 in the third and were unable to recover in the contest.
Danny Vaught’s 16 points paced the Pirates, while Avery Harper added eight.
Rob Hamilton can be reached at 419-946-3010, ext. 1807. Connect with him on Twitter at @SportsMCS
