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Washington Evening Journal
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Panther guards explode against Demons
Mt. Pleasant speeds past Washington for big SEC win
MT. PLEASANT — The Mt. Pleasant boys basketball team came into Friday night’s Southeast Conference clash with Washington leading the conference by just one game. The Panthers stayed atop the league with a 71-54 win.
The Panthers got quite the battle out of Washington for the first three quarters, but Mt. Pleasant’s defense held the Demons to just three points in the final eight minutes of the game.
Washington led the game 19-16 after one quarter, but Mt. Pleasant rallied for a 36-32 halftime advantage.
The Panthers’ lead was just four points in the waning moments of the third quarter and Washington had the ball with a chance to cut the lead to two. A missed layup turned into a final shot for the Panthers, and Mt. Pleasant’s Payton Hagans nailed a falling 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Panthers a 58-51 advantage.
“I think that's the tale of that game,” said Washington head coach Collin Stark. “We had our opportunities, but when you're playing a team like Mt. Pleasant, you can't turn the ball over down the stretch or miss layups.”
In all, Hagans scored 31 points in the win for Mt. Pleasant, including seven made 3-pointers, which tied the school record. Christian Stacy scored 18 points making it 49 combined from the two.
“Every time I play these guys it's 100 percent,” said Hagans. “There's just something extra on it with Washington since they're such a big rivalry.”
Hagans and Stacy had previously combined for 54 points in the Panthers’ last win over Washington. The duo went for 50 combined points in a 55-42 win over Washington on Saturday.
Avin Truong put up nine points for the Panthers. Nate Stroud had seven points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Zachary Newton scored six points.
Nic Stone scored 13 points for the Demons. Logan McDole put up 11. Kael Williams finished with 10. Drew Conrad had eight. Rajan Roth finished with seven. Roman Roth scored three, and Andrew Shepherd ended with two.
The loss snapped a two-game SEC winning streak for the Demons.
“Washington is a tough team,” said Mt. Pleasant head coach Eric Rawson. “They shoot the ball very well, so they're very dangerous. It's a team that doesn't go away.”
Mt. Pleasant is now 10-4 overall and 6-1 in conference play, one game above Keokuk and Fort Madison for first place. Washington is now 6-8 overall and 4-4 in the SEC.
