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Washington Evening Journal
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Wolves’ big first half pushes them past Panthers
Winfield-Mt. Union knocks off Pekin in Class 1A Region 4 opener
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
WINFIELD — Winfield-Mt. Union and Pekin met for the third time this season on Monday night.
While the two split during the regular season, with just six points separating the two squads in the previous two games, this meeting had a bit more at stake. A win and advance.
This time, it was Winfield-Mt. Union taking the battle of Southeast Iowa Super Conference North foes and Class 1A Region 4 bout 51-36.
A big first half by WMU made all difference in the outcome of the postseason opener.
The Wolves and Panthers were tight out of the gate. Nicholas Sparrow sparked WMU early connecting on a pair of threes to give the Wolves the early 6-2 advantage.
Pekin went nearly three minutes without a bucket after its first from Kasey Davis, but two from Will Adam made it just a two point game at 6-4.
However, an scoring woes enveloped the Panthers through the rest of the first period and into the second.
Pekin was held to just one more field goal the rest of the opening quarter, as Winfield-Mt. Union closed the final three minutes on a 9-3 run to make it 15-7.
After Davis scored the opening points of the second, a scoring drought loomed the Panthers once again.
A bucket from Cody Milks kicked off what was 14 straight points by the Wolves. That was WMU’s total for the quarter.
Pekin went over six minutes without a point, finally breaking the spell off a layin from Nolan Glick with just 1:09 remaining in the half.
Heading into halftime WMU led 29-11.
Despite the lopsided first half, Pekin didn’t give up, putting together its best quarter of the night in the third.
To start the second half it was all Panthers, as they nearly cut the Wolves’ led in half through the first three minutes.
Pekin got baskets from Glick, Davis, Cole Millikin and Henry Adam to help it score 10 straight points to pull the game within eight at 29-21.
But WMU answered back in the form of Cooper Buffington. After foul trouble kept the senior out for much of the first half, Buffington came up huge in the final five minutes of the third.
He scored seven of the Wolves nine points in a 9-0 run to give them another wide advantage at 38-21.
The Panthers kept it manageable though thanks to back-to-back buckets, including a buzzer beating shot from Glick.
WMU held onto a 13 point lead, 38-25 after three quarters of action.
In the final period, Pekin came as close as nine after a three from Millikin made it 41-32, but WMU was excellent down the stretch.
Jake Edwards scored six of the Wolves’ final 10 points in the closing four minutes. A 6-0 run through that span gave WMU a 47-32 lead and that all they would need as Pekin scored just four points the rest of the way.
WMU advances to take on Burlington Notre Dame in round two. Pekin ends its season at 15-8.
