LCMS lose two to Summertown

The Lewis County Middle School Lady Panthers and Panthers hosted the Summertown Lady Eagles and Eagles on Monday, January 18 for a boys' junior varsity game and girls' and boys' varsity action.

The Panther JV continued with their excellent play on the season as they sprinted out to a 31-15 lead at the half behind Maddox Tanner and Phenix McDonald who each had 7 points in the half. The second half was a slower pace as the Panther JV struggled to knock down open looks and the Eagle JV tightened the game up, but it was the big first-half lead that the Panther JV built that proved to be the difference in the game. The Panther JV took the win at home 40-31 over the Eagle JV.

Jalen Smith had 10 for the Panthers, Maddox Tanner 9, Phenix McDonald 8, Bo Banks and Kolt Skelton 4 each, and Dakota Hull 3.

Hunter King had 8 for the Eagles, Eli Schaffer 7, Ryder Blackwood 5, Weston Clark and Hayden Lindsey 3 each, Jakolbe Sanders 2, and Jake Pettus 1.

The Lady Panther varsity girls took the floor in the second game against the top team in the area, the Summertown Lady Eagles. The Lady Eagles held the Lady Panthers scoreless in the first frame as they pulled out to a 9-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was a mirror image of the first as the Lady Eagles again outscored the Lady Panthers 9-0 while the Lady Panthers struggled to knock down shots. Aryn Shepherd broke the seal off with her basket in the third for Lewis County, the only points the Lady Panthers would manage in a lopsided 20-2 period. Trailing 38-2, the Lady Panthers would only manage a single Jazzy Conner free throw in the fourth and fall 47-3.

Aryn Shepherd had 2 and Jazzy Conner 1 for Lewis County. Millie Emerson had 11 for the Lady Eagles, Rylie Blackwood 10, Olivia Woods, Abbie Jo Schaffer, and Maggie Miller 6 each, and Ella Busby and El-lee Lu Mason 4 each.

The Panthers took the floor hoping to avenge an early-season loss to the Eagles and pulled out early to a 12-10 lead behind 5 Steele Moseley points. The Eagles countered in the second quarter by outscoring Lewis County 13-3 to build a 23-15 halftime lead. The teams played a tight third quarter as Kurt Burleson scored all 7 Summertown points and the Panthers only managed 6, giving the Eagles a 30-21 edge moving into the final six minutes of play. The Eagles would continue their control as the Panthers searched for an answer that never came, and Summertown took the final 45-29.

Lewis County was led by Steele Moseley with 11, Cade Lomax 10, Sam Moore 3, Jaxon Fite and Ryan Tanner 2 each, and Drew Ray 1.