The Grundy County/Newtown-Harris Panthers waltzed into their game on Monday with four straight wins but they left with five. They managed a 50-44 victory over Milan. Given Grundy County/Newtown-Harris' advantage in MaxPreps' Missouri basketball rankings (they are ranked 145th, while the Wildcats are ranked 483rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Grundy County/Newtown-Harris' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Corbin Axtell, who scored 16 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. Axtell hasn't dropped below 15 points for 13 straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Tate McClaran, who scored 16 points along with seven rebounds and two steals.
Milan's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ahmet Niasse, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds. Niasse is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last five games he's played. Another player making a difference was Ethan Bennett, who scored 11 points along with six rebounds and two steals.
Milan struggled to work together and finished the game with only four assists. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Grundy County/Newtown-Harris racked up 11 assists.
Grundy County/Newtown-Harris is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten games, which provided a nice bump to their 14-3 record this season. As for Milan, they are on a 12-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-14.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Grundy County/Newtown-Harris will take on the at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Milan, they will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against the Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m.
