Demons drop contest to Panthers

The Mt. Pleasant boys? basketball team was looking for the season sweep of rival Washington, and the Demons were keeping things close throughout the early portion of the game.

A low-scoring first half saw the Panthers take a 26-18 lead into the break, but a fierce defensive attack frustrated the Demons, and Mt. Pleasant took advantage.

The Panther defense held Washington to only five third-quarter points, extending its lead to more than 20, as the Panthers cruised to a 67-41 victory over the Demons.

The win marks the fifth straight for the Panthers, and puts Mt. Pleasant at 15-5 on the season, while finishing the conference season with a perfect 8-0 record.

Washington fell to 6-11 on the season with the loss, snapping a two-game winning streak.

?Mt. Pleasant is a very good man-to-man defensive team,? Washington head coach Bryce Smeins said. ?We knew that coming in, and they hold a lot of people in the 30s. I thought in the first half we did a decent job, and but I?m guessing we had about 12 turnovers in the third quarter alone. To beat a team on Mt. Pleasant?s level, you have to play 32 minutes of good basketball, and we didn?t.?

The Demons were led by sophomore Dalton Myers, who put in 14 points, while senior Derek Anding notched 11.

John Dillon led the team with five rebounds and two steals in the game, while the Demons struggled from the field, shooting 38 percent, and went 2-of-14 from 3-point range.

Washington will face Williamsburg in a road contest on Tuesday night.