Leo Herrick had a game-high 27 points as the Magnolia Blue Eagles picked up their first win of the season, defeating the Preston County Knights, 68-59, Saturday, Dec. 9 at Morgantown High School in the Morgantown Tip-Off Classic.

The teams played almost even in the first quarter as Preston led 14-10 at the break. In the second, the Eagles started heating up as the Big Blue out-scored the Knights, 25-16 in the period, while taking a 35-30 lead into the locker room.

In the third quarter, Preston County outscored the Eagles 21-14 to turn things around, leading 51-49 after three periods. The fourth quarter was the difference-maker in the game as the Eagles flexed their muscles, outscoring the Knights, 19-8, to gain the victory.

The Eagles were led by Herrick with 27 points, including a trio of long bombs, while Garrett Babe got hot from behind the arc, nailing down four treys and a deuce for a 15 point outing. Marco Smith continued his strong showing early on in the year, scoring 13 points, including a deep bonus bomb from downtown.

In addition, Jake Gamble tallied nine markers, while Eli Nice and Devin Shimp each tacked ona deuce.

**

Elkins 65, Magnolia 46

On Friday at the Morgantown Top-Off Classic, the Elkin Tigers outscored the Magnolia Blue Eagles, 22-7, in the third quarter to help carry them to a 65-46 victory.

The two teams played about even in the first quarter as the Tigers out-scored the Eagles 11-9, while bumping it up to 27-20 heading into the locker room.

In the third, the Tigers started to pull away, outscoring the Eagles 22-7 making it 49-27 after three. In the fourth period, the Eagles out-scored Elkins 19-16. But, it wasn’t enough to dig themselves out of the hole as the Tigers won 65-46.

Leo Herrick led the Eagles with 12 points, while Jake Gamble and Marco Smith each netted nine points. Garrett Babe added eight points, including a pair of three balls, while Eli Nice and Devin Shimp tacked on three, and William Nice sank a deuce.

**

Monroe Central 60, Magnolia 57

Leo Herrick scored 23 points, but it wasn’t enough to get past Monroe Central, 60-57, in a hard fought game Dec. 5 in the Eagles’ home opener.

After a pair of Herrick two-pointers to start the game, the Seminoles quickly countered with a three ball and a deuce, sparking a 10-0 run as the ‘Noles took the lead at 10-4.

Both teams then traded buckets, before Eagles’ Jake Gamble stepped up and drilled a three ball. Not to be out-done, the ‘Noles sank one of their own, before Gamble ended the scoring in the first quarter with a deuce, to give the visitors a 15-11 after one period of up-and-down basketball.

In the second quarter, the Seninoles went on a 9-0 run to grab a 24-11 lead, but a pair of deuces from Herrick and a triple from Marco Smith brought the Eagles back to within 24-18.

Monroe Central then pushed its advantage to 12 points, before the Eagles Eli Nice, Devin Shimp and Gamble each sank baskets to end the second quarter, with the ‘Noles on top, 30-24 at the half.

Both teams traded buckets to open the third quarter, before the visitors sank a pair of free throws and a deuce to push their lead to 10 points to push their advantage to 36-26.

The Blue Eagles’ Shimp and Herrick turned a pair of Seminole turnovers into easy baskets to cut their deficit down to 36-32 with 3:50 to go in the third period, forcing the visitors to call a timeout.

After the short breather, the ‘Noles scored a bucket, but Shimp got a bucket off a Herrick assist, while Herrick tallied a deuce and a freebie to close the gap to 38-37. The ‘Noles quickly countered, scoring two straight buckets, before Herrick knocked down a pair of free throws with 43 seconds to go in the third. The teams then traded buckets before Monroe Central drained a triple to go up 47-41 after three periods of up-and-down basketball.

The Seminoles raced out to an eight-point advantage, before the Big Blue trimmed the deficit to 51-49. Magnolia got as close as 56-55, but Monroe Central knocked down four freebies down the stretch the ice the game and get the win 60-57.

Herrick paced the Eagles once more with 23 points, while Shimp added 10-points, and Smith knocked down three from beyond the arc. Eli Nice added eight points, while Gamble netted seven markers.The Eagles were on the road last night at Wheeling Central before returning home Friday, Dec. 15 when they host the Valley Lumberjacks for their finale game before Christmas.