The Knoxville Basketball Squads came away with a split at Chariton on Friday night as the girls lost 61-43 and the boys gained their first win of the season with a 64-51 victory over the Chargers as heard live on kniakrls.com KNIA3. The girls game was close until Chariton closed on an 18-4 run to put it away. The Dunkin Sisters topped the scoring for the Panthers with Hannah getting 11 points and Emma scoring nine. Knoxville controlled the boys game for the large part and gradually pulled away, building a lead as high as 22. The Panthers were also able to control the paint on Friday with Jack Bertrand clogging up the middle in the 2nd half and everyone else getting steals. Coach Troy Pearson told KNIA/KRLS Sports his team’s defensive awareness was much better than the first two games.

Pearson: “Defensively we’re starting to understand playing together as a team, and we understand one ball defense, but now we may be getting that midline and back line where he gave up those points to Clarke and PCM. It takes time, but I think we’re getting it.”

Noah Keefer led all scorers with 27 points for the Panthers who are 1-2 on the season and even their conference record at 1-1. The girls fall to 2-3 and 0-2 in the South Central Conference. Knoxville stays within the conference Tuesday when Davis County comes to town.