Two very different ball games but the same outcome as Knoxville got important road wins at Albia on Tuesday night heard live on 95.3 KNIA. The girls won a hard fought come from behind 42-37 win over the Lady Dees while the boys controlled the game to post a 68-54 victory. In the girls game, Albia dictated the tempo for the most part leading 25-16 at halftime, but Knoxville only allowed 12 2nd half points to the Lady Dees and converted huge shots in the last few minutes of the game. Hannah Dunkin was mostly responsible as she drained the three to put Knoxville up by three with 1:30 left, then put the dagger in the heart of Albia as the shot clock was running thin.

Knoxville would hit free throws to ice the game. Dunkin told KNIA/KRLS Sports both shots were huge and the team ran everything correctly.

Dunkin: “The first one she was giving me space. The last one we ran the shot clock down as much as we could and I’m thankful we ran everything right and my teammates gave that open shot.”

Dunkin led with 17 points, 15 in the 2nd half while Brittany Bacorn scored ten points. The boys kept Albia at arm’s length most of the game with the lead hovering between five and ten points most of the way. The Blue Demons had the lead as close as four in the final minute of the 3rd quarter, but Knoxville quickly got it back up to ten and Albia got no closer. Landen Norris paced three Panthers in double figures with 24 points, brother Lincoln scored 17 and Kaiden Smith scored 11. The Knoxville girls are 8-7 on the season and 8-3 in the South Central Conference while the boys run their record to 9-5 and 8-3 in the conference. Both Knoxville squads are off until Friday when they head to Davis County.