Panther boys cruise

MT. PLEASANT - It was all Panthers from the tip in the boys half of Mt. Pleasant's nonconference doubleheader against Benton Community on Monday night.

The Panther boys crushed the Bobcats 53-33, earning revenge from a 52-42 loss in the girls game.

Mt. Pleasant's defense clamped down on the Benton boys in the first quarter. The Panthers pressured the Bobcats into mistake after mistake and won the opening period 17-4.

'We definitely got off to a good start,” said Mt. Pleasant head coach Eric Rawson. 'We executed early, and that was nice to see.”

The Panthers' lead was never down to single digits again. Mt. Pleasant led 27-11 at halftime and 36-19 after three quarters.

Brevin Wilson scored 12 points, nine of which came in the first half. Dylon Hagans scored 11 to give Mt. Pleasant two double-digit scorers.

The night saw the return of Dewon Trent, who hadn't played a game since the Panthers' opener at Cedar Rapids Xavier. He finished the night with seven points.

'It's great to have him back,” Coach Rawson said. 'We're a different team when he's out there.”

Sam Jerrell finished the night with six points. Jack Johnson had five. Owen Vansickel and Chase Williamson scored four apiece, and Payton Hagans acnd Carter Amos both netted two.

The Panther girls held an 11-10 lead after one quarter and were tied 22-22 at halftime. Benton, however took the lead in the third quarter and never gave it back. The Bobcats won the third period 12-8 and the fourth 18-12 to wind up with a 52-42 victory.

'There were just too many missed opportunities,” Mt. Pleasant girls coach Curt Watson said. 'But we're getting better.”

It was Mt. Pleasant's second-straight close loss. The Panthers dropped a one-point game to conference rival Keokuk last weekend.

'We could very easily be 4-2 with those last two games,” Coach Watson said. 'But we're 2-4.”

Andrea Lopreato scored 16 points to lead Mt. Pleasant in the girls game. Tristian Shull scored 10.

Emma Huckabone and Kenna Lamm each added five points in the loss. Emma Rugg, Kate Schimmelpfennig and Ava Lowery finished with two points apiece.

The Mt. Pleasant boys are now 3-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play heading into Friday night's rivalry game with Washington. The Panther girls are 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the Southeast Conference.

The Panther boys will host Washington on Friday. Mt. Pleasant's girls will visit the Demons.