Basketball Recap: Sparta Skates Past New Athens with Ease

Sparta posted their biggest victory since February 5, 2024 on Tuesday. They blew past the New Athens Yellow Jackets 71-40. The Bulldogs pushed the score to 62-34 by the end of the third, a deficit the Yellow Jackets had little chance of recovering from.

Sparta was led to victory by Damian Lanton and Dariontez Monroe. Lanton went 7 of 13 on his way to 21 points and four steals, while Monroe went 6 for 7 en route to 18 points and five boards. Jake Wesbecher was another key player, putting up ten points.

Sparta's win bumped their record up to 15-8. As for New Athens, their loss dropped their record down to 13-8.

Sparta and East Alton-Wood River will face off at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday without much rest having both just played. Sparta knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past four matches -- so hopefully East Alton-Wood River likes a good challenge. As for New Athens, they won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Marissa/Coulterville at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams are headed into the matchup with plenty of momentum (New Athens has won nine straight at home dating back to last season, while Marissa/Coulterville won five straight on the road), something that'll have to change.