Panthers knock off state-ranked Thayer

When the Mountain Grove Panthers hosted state-ranked Thayer last week, they welcomed a 15-win team to the Arena who was hoping to start South Central Association (SCA) Conference play at 2-0. Well, their plans hit a wall when the Panthers made 13-of-21 free throws in the fourth quarter to hold on for the 71-68 win.
Kale Gardner paced Mountain Grove early as he made a pair of 3-pointers and scored 13 of his team’s 22 points in the first eight minutes. Sam Peterson scored seven points in that same frame.
Then in the second quarter, Gardner scored five points and Destin Unger hit a 3-pointer as the Panthers led 36-32 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Peterson scored another seven points, though the Bobcats cut the lead to just three points.
In the final eight minutes, Brody Emery scored nine points and Peterson had seven points in a 21-point quarter as Mountain Grove won the game by three points.
Gardner scored a team-high 24 points; Peterson scored 21 points; Emery had 13 points; Brayden Haughey and Unger each scored four points; Aden Estep had three points; and Eli Golden scored two points.
Mountain Grove ended the week with a road trip to Houston and a 75-54 victory. Gardner scored eight of his team’s 18 first-quarter points while Peterson added five to help Mountain Grove take an early 18-8 lead. Houston rallied with a 21-point second quarter to cut the lead to four points at halftime.
Gardner scored eight points in the second quarter. In the third quarter, Gardner had nine points and Peterson scored seven in a 23-point frame.
Mountain Grove would get another eight points from Gardner in the final eight minutes as the Panthers pulled away for the win.
Gardner scored a team-high 33 points; Peterson tallied 19 points; Golden tallied eight points; Emery had five points;  Estep had four points; while Brandon Rottman, JP Dickey and Haughey each scored tow points.
The Panthers’ record is now at .500 at 10-10 on the season.