The state-ranked (#3 girls, #8 boys) Mercer Cardinals routed the visiting Hale Cardinals in a high school basketball doubleheader on Monday night at the North Mercer gymnasium, with Bailey Owens scoring 27 points and future NCMC Lady Pirate Nicole Kost 12 to lead the Mercer girls to a 72-32 win, while the Mercer boys had things on cruise control early, rolling past Hale 85-15. Grey Porter had 19 points, Bryar Noe 13, Hunter Shipley 12, and Cash Hartley 11 for Mercer.
The Grundy R-5 girls and boys were swept in season-opening play against the Linn County Mustangs. Linn County took the girls affair 57-48. Alexis Miller led the winners with 25 points. Matana Munday scored 16 points and Mady Williams 11 for the Lady Panthers.
The Grundy R-5 boys, playing their first game under new head coach Steve Wells, were dumped by Linn County 61-38. Coach Wells said a rough start doomed his team’s opening night upset hopes:
Jonathan Stimpson led the Panthers with 14 points.
The Orrick girls beat Polo 49-20 while the Polo boys beat Orrick 63-45. The Pattonsburg girls claimed a 48-34 win over East Harrison while the Tina-Avalon girls took down Braymer 41-34. The Lexington girls won at Plattsburg, with the Tiger boys returning the favor, beating the Minutemen 64-56.
Other finals from Monday night included the Lathrop Lady Mules over LeBlond 41-21, as Annika Huitt scored 14 points; Putnam County’s Lady Midgets over Novinger 61-27, the Novinger boys over Putnam County 70-61; the Braymer boys over Tina-Avalon 46-16; and the LeBlond boys over West Platte 61-34.
