Two tough, gritty wins for the Knoxville Basketball Squads in Bloomfield on Friday night as the girls won 61-56 while the boys outgunned Davis County 80-75 heard live on kniakrls.com KNIA3. In the girls game, the Panthers were playing shorthanded due to injuries but the big three of Emma Dunkin, Hannah Dunkin, and Brittany Bacorn after a slow start helped Knoxville to a 34-32 halftime lead. That was when Natalie Collins came and she hit three huge three point shots to keep Knoxville afloat.

(Collins “…4136.”) :11

Collins’s nine points were huge plus the Panthers outscoring Davis County 15-7 from the free throw line. Coach Matt Ritchhart told KNIA/KRLS Sports not only Collins but Marlea Cox also got extended minutes plus Larissa Wells battled through a sore knee. Bacorn and Emma Dunkin had top scoring honors with 17 each. The boys also got off to a slow start but managed to settle down to force 21 Davis County turnovers. Noah Keefer was high point with 24, Laden Norris scored 15 points and Connor Willis helped out with ten. Willis told KNIA/KRLS Sports after the PCM game, they refocused and decided that the pace of play and defense was the key to their successes.

Willis: “That’s a lot, it plays a big part in our game. Pearson was talking to us after the PCM game and he asked do you want to play run and gun or play at your pace. We all said we want to play at our pace. It’s fun that way and we’re really good at it.”

Both Knoxville squads are 3-1 ,the girls are 2-1 in the South Central Conference while the boys are 3-1. Both travel to Chariton on Tuesday.