Panthers nearly knock off undefeated Bunker, the No. 1 team in Class 1

Trailing by two points with a minute left to the No. 1 team in Class 1, the Mountain Grove Panthers took their time setting up a potential game-winning shot.
With 32 seconds left, Kale Gardner hit a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key, stunning Bunker as they took a one-point lead.
The Eagles responded with 15 seconds left to retake the lead. Kale Gardner was able to respond once again by drawing a foul with 2.5 seconds remaining on the clock.
Unfortunately, he was unable to hit the free throws and the Panthers fell, 53-52, in the Legends Shootout hosted by Liberty (Mountain View).
Earlier in the game, the Panthers trailed Bunker by four before Kale Gardner sparked a 16-7 run with a pair of 3-pointers and 10 points.
This helped his team take a 23-18 lead into halftime.
Brody Emery came up big in the third quarter with nine points to keep the lead at three  when the Eagles did just enough in the fourth quarter to pull out the win.
Kale Gardner scored 24 points; Emery added 13; Eli Golden had six; Aden Estep added five; while both Bret Gardner and Dalton Shannon scored two points.
Before the near upset of an undefeated team, Sparta got revenge from an early season 19-point loss to Mountain Grove by beating the Panthers on the Trojans’ home floor, 74-69.
Mountain Grove led the game throughout before Sparta went on a 24-13 run in the fourth quarter to rally for the victory.
Kale Gardner scored a team-high 24 points; Emery added 17; Estep had 11; Bret Gardner scored seven points; Golden had five; Brady Harris added three; and Brady Anderson had two points.
Mountain Grove opens South Central Association (SCA) Conference play on Jan. 20 when they play at Liberty (Mountain View) at 7:30 p.m.