DesotoExplorer.com / Panthers grab back-to-back wins

Archive for Thursday, February 14, 2008

February 14, 2008

Both the Lexington Trails Middle School seventh grade teams won two big games.

Both the A and the B teams traveled Feb. 7 to Lansing for the first game. The B team rolled, 23-9. It jumped out to a 17-0 first quarter lead and never looked back.

Jonny Hodges led the Panthers with eight points. Liam McDanile, who added seven, followed him closely. Caleb Ray chipped in four and Ryan Stallbaumer and James Aldred added two each.

The A team pulled away by outscoring Lansing, 13-6 in the fourth quarter for a 30-24 win.

Braiden Turner, who hit three three-point shots and scored 11, led the Panthers. Josh Pasley added seven points and eight rebounds. Hunter Peak scored five and grabbed six boards, Alex Pruss had three, and Zack Griffiths added one. Corbin Clark had 10 rebounds to go along with 3 points and 4 steals.

The Panthers squared off against a talented Perry-LeCompton Kaw team Feb. 5. The B team won a back-and-forth battle with the Panthers winning in the last minute with baskets by Liam McDaniel and Noah Cardiff. Cardiff led the way with eight points as the Panthers won, 29-28.

Hodges and McDaniel added five each. James Allred, Taylor Phongsavoth, Zach Umholtz and Stallbaumer chipped in two apiece. The win improved the team to 8-3.

The A team exploded for 55 points after trailing early. The Panthers went into halftime up eight and expanded on the lead.

Braiden Turner and Corbin Clark combined for 36 points. Turner knocked down five three-point shots and Clark dominated inside, scoring 17. Zack Griffiths and Alex Pruss played both ends hard and chipped in three more long balls, Griffiths hitting two and Pruss one.

Ryan Stallbaumer came off the bench to add six. Hodges and McDaniel had two each. Clark pulled down eight boards and Turner added five assists.

The wins raised the team's record to 4-5. The A team will be in action Saturday as it plays Mill Creek. The game is at 9:15 a.m. at Lexington Trails.