It was a fun night to be a Panther in Centerville on Tuesday as both of the Knoxville Basketball Squads posted wins in different ways as heard on 95.3 KNIA. The girls used suffocating defense all night to turn back the Big Reds 41-29. Brittany Bacorn scored ten points and hit 6/6 free throws in the 4th quarter to help put the game away. However Coach Matt Ritchhart told KNIA/KRLS Sports it was her and the rest of the team’s defense that won the game.

Ritchhart: “I told the girls before the game we had to hold Racheal and Mickey to about 15-25 combined to have a chance, and to see the box score after the game and see Racheal with zero and Mickey with 8.”

The Racheal and Mickey that Ritchhart was referring to was Centerville’s Racheal George and Mickey Stephens, who averaged nearly 28 points per game combined, and the Panthers held them to eight with Stephens getting the eight points. Knoxville is now 4-4 and 2-2 in the South Central Conference. The boys started a bit slow on defense and the offense was not clicking on all cylinders in the first half trailing 30-29. However the Panthers exploded for 57 2nd half points to run away from Centerville in a 86-69 win. The Panthers finally started hitting three point shots and used their inside game to dominate the boards and the points. Coach Troy Pearson told KNIA/KRLS Sports everyone on the offensive end finally came together in the 2nd half.

Pearson: “I told the kids in the locker room, I was so proud of them. Before the break we go over Pella and get beat handily, and I’m so proud of them the way they grind and their effort.”

Five Panthers scored in double figures led by freshman Gabe Clark with 20 points in his first career start, Jay Kellar scored 18 points, Landen Norris had 17, Noah Keefer dropped in 16, all in the 2nd half, and Jack Bertrand scored a career high 15 points. Knoxville is now 2-4 and 2-2 in the South Central Conference. Both Panther squads head to Eddyville Thursday for a make up game.