GRAY DEYOStaff Writer

Monday night the ladies’ and men’s varsity basketball squads for East Middle School hosted Cannon County. The ladies won their matchup 48-17, while the boys dropped their matchup 52-40.

After a two-point loss to Community Middle School on Friday, losing 42-40, the Lady Panthers got back on track with what they showcased the game before against West Middle School. Gena Hickerson had another huge performance for East dropping in a game-high 26 points. She and her teammates had a heavy emphasis on attacking the paint throughout this contest, and it paid off.

Ingrid Fults was a part of this attack dropping in two layups for four points. The full-court press the Lady Panthers ran caused Cannon County to have several turnovers, adding another layer of success to their all-out blitz on the paint.

After a 1-3 start to the season the Lady Panthers’ have started to find their rhythm winning two of their last three. Their aggressiveness on defense has picked up along with their efficiency on the offensive end. They have scored at least 40 points in their last three games, after averaging 26.5 points through their first four games of the season.

The boys’ team didn’t have the same luck that the ladies had, losing their game after going into the third knotted with Cannon County, at 31-31. The Panthers came out in the fourth quarter in a two-three zone, that caters to threes and the Lions took advantage of the defensive scheme—draining in three threes that were a part of an 11-2 run coming out the quarter—-making the score 42-33.

Panthers’ guard Brody McShea had an impressive offensive game, scoring a team-high 17 points, and scoring 10 of them in the second half.

McShea displayed a versatile game—driving in the lane to get layups, knocking down a corner three, and even tossing in a couple of old-fashioned baby hooks. He played a huge part in keeping them in this game, but after Cannon County’s barrage from distance early in the fourth, McShea and the Panthers ran out of steam to get back.