What was expected to be two exciting and fun games, turned into two disappointing losses for the Knoxville Basketball Squads to Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont as heard live on 95.3 KNIA. The girls fell to the Rockets 72-48. The Panthers kept it close for most of the first half but EBF gradually pulled away in the 2nd half. Emma Dunkin set a career high of 25 points in a losing cause leading the Panthers in that department. The boys were set as a winner gets a least a share of the South Central Conference title, and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont came out firing, jumping out to a 22-10 lead after one quarter and upping it as high as 20 at one point. But Knoxville battled back to get to within eight in the 4th quarter but got no closer. Coach Troy Pearson told KNIA/KRLS the loss stings, but he was happy with his team’s fight in the2nd half.

Pearson: “We could have folded up the tent and packed it in and said this isn’t for us. We battled back and got it down to 9 I think, and I was proud of the way the kids battled back and stuck with it.”

Landen Norris scored 16 points to lead Knoxville, who fell to 11-4 on the season and 11-2 in the South Central Conference. The girls are 11-6 and 8-5 in conference play. The girls will host Albia on Tuesday while the boys return home on Monday to face Grinnell.