Panthers lose at Liberty, dunks on Gainesville

Aden Estep hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute against Liberty (Mountain View), but the rally was too late in a 68-64 loss to the Eagles.
It was a South Central Association (SCA) Conference opener for both programs and the Eagles are now 12-2 on the season with their lone losses coming against state-ranked Hartville and state-ranked Bunker.
Both teams played to a 15-15 tie in the first quarter as Estep opened his big game with eight points.
Liberty (Mountain View) then went on a 23-11 run to take a 12-point lead into halftime.
Kale Gardner scored six points in the frame for the Panthers.
Down seven entering the fourth, both Bret Gardner and Estep scored eight points in a 20-point frame, but the rally fell short in the end.
Estep made six, 3-pointers and scored a team-high 22 points; Bret Gardner added 13; Eli Golden had 12; Kale Gardner had 11; and Brody Emery had six.
Before the snowstorm hit over the weekend, the Panthers hosted Gainesville and picked up a 76-52 victory.
Mountain Grove opened the contest with  a 26-point first quarter after six different Panthers scored a basket.
Up 14 at the half, Kale Gardner scored seven points and both Golden and Emery had six points to push the Mountain Grove lead to 23.
The Panthers were led by Golden, who made five, 3-pointers for a team-high 21 points.
Kale Gardner scored 16 and added a big dunk; Emery added 11; Estep made a pair of 3-pointers for six points; Bret Gardner had five points; both Brady Harris and Brady Anderson had four; Trigg Devries had three; while Briar Parsons, Peyton Metty and Dalton Shannon each had two points.