Magnolia’s Lady Eagles Sink Tyler’s Silver Knights

The Eagles’ Mady Winters and Kyndra Pilant each tallied a double-double to help Magnolia defeat Tyler Consolidated, 55-50, in girls high school basketball action, Dec. 27 inside the MHS HammerDome.
Winters tallied the game’s opening bucket, while the Knights’ Amanda Reynolds swished a three ball to give Tyler Consolidated a 3-2 early lead. Winters would go on to score five more points for the hosts, while four Tyler players tallied baskets to give Tyler Consolidated a 13-7 lead after eight minutes of play.
Tyler opened the second period with a 7-0 run to take a healthy 20-7 advantage, including a Reynolds triple early in the second period.
However, Pilant, Winters, and Kennedy Parsons went on a 10-0 run, that included a Parsons three-ball, to close the gap to 20-17, midway through the second stanza.
Kocher and Reynolds scored a three-ball and a deuce, respectively, while Winters added a free throw in between their baskets.
Logan Riggs and Pilant finished off the second period on a 8-0 run to give the hosts a 26-25 lead. Pilant rejected a Knight shot at the buzzer, that helped keep the Eagles lead at the break.
The Knights opened the third period on a 6-0 run, that forced Magnolia to call a quick time-out, with Tyler on top, 31-26.
After the break, the game went back-and-forth with Pilant landing a free throw to end the third period, with Tyler on top, 41-40.
Josey Jones sank a deuce to open the fourth, but Pilant tallied five straight points to give Magnolia a 45-43 lead. Jones followed with a rebound put-back, but Pilant swished two free throws while Sierra Walker added a deuce that quickly forced Tyler to call a time-out.
After the short breather on the sidelines, Winters and Reynolds each scored a deuce, but Walker made the second of a two shot foul that extended the Magnolia lead to 52-47.
After charity toss misses by both Tyler and Magnolia, Winters and Pilant each made free throws, before Kocher swished a three-ball to pull Tyler Consolidated to within 55-50 with 7.1 seconds remaining.
The Blue Eagles missed a pair of freebies, but Parsons made a steal at the buzzer to give Magnolia the win.
“The girls really played hard, and I’m proud of the way our players shook off the Knights’ runs with runs of their own,” said Magnolia Head Coach Meredith Pilant.
Winters and Pilant each scored 17 markers, while Winters hauling in 14 rebounds and Pilant 11, to record their double-doubles. Riggs tickled the twine from long range three times, while playing a good defensive game. Walker scored seven markers, while Parsons netted five points, including a basket from beyond the arch.
Kocher paced the Lady Knights with 15 points, that included three bonus bombs. Reynolds sank a triple to go along with her 13 points.
Tyler Consolidated scored three more baskets than Magnolia, but Magnolia won it at the free throw line as they made 15-25 freebies, to only 4-10 for the Knights.
After the New Year, the Lady Eagles will host Wheeling Central Jan. 3, before visiting Ritchie County Jan. 6, and hosting River, Jan. 9.
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Magnolia Splits a
Pair of Games
Wheeling Central outscored its opponent, 29-14, in the third period to break open a close game, propelling the Maroon Knights to a 73-44 victory over Magnolia Dec. 20 inside Wheeling Central Gymnasium.
Central took a 9-7 lead in the opening period, and went into the locker room at the break with a 28-19 lead.
The Eagles got into a running game with the Knights, but in the end, Central outscored them, 29-14, to increase the advantage to 57-33, with one period to go. Magnolia and Wheeling Central played to-to-toe in the final stanza, but in the end it was all Wheeling Central.Kaylee Pilant and Mady Winters tallied 14 and 13 points, respectively, while Kennedy Parsons had her best offensive outing of the young season, scoring nine points.
In addition, Lara-Ann Smith tallied three markers, while Logan Riggs and Reagan Hale each swished a deuce, and Lenica Grimm knocked a freebie at the charity stripe.
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Magnolia 53, Monroe Central 39
Kyndra Pilant and Mady Winters each scored a double-double to lead Magnolia to an easy 53-39 victory over Monroe Central, Dec. 18 inside the MHS HammerDome.
After the Blue Eagles junior varsity team defeated the Lady Seminoles in overtime by a bucket, the Eagles set out to earn a sweep over their guests in the varsity game.
Early on, it looked like it was going as scripted, just like the junior varsity contest, with Magnolia holding a two point lead after one period of play, 18-16, with Winters scoring 11 of the Eagles’ 18 points. The visitor’s Siena Rainey scored 11 of the Seminoles’ 16 points.
It really looked like the game was either going to go into overtime, or a last minute basket, after the Lady Seminoles ate into the Eagle lead with a 10-9, to pull them within a point, at 27-26. Rainey and Syd Yoho each hit a three-pointer for the Lady ‘Noles.
The duo of Pilant and Winters took over in the second half; the dynamic duo owned both the offensive and defensive boards that helped Magnolia increase its lead to 39-34 after three periods. The Magnolia defense held the Seminoles to four two-pointers in the period.
The fourth period was all Magnolia as the Lady Eagles outscored their guests, 13-5, to get the win. The defense limited Monroe Central to a triple and a deuce.
As a team, the Lady Eagles out-rebounded the Seminoles, 47-18, with Pilant and Winters grabbing 36 of their 47. Pilant led the way with 19 rebounds, to go along with 17 points and two steals, while Winters tallied 15 points, 17 rebounds, and two blocked shots.
Logan Riggs played an outstanding game, scoring eight points, that included two three-point baskets. Riggs dished out eight assists, making three steals, and grabbing four rebounds. She also brought the ball down the court with ease and broke the press single highhandedly for the most part.
Sierra Walker, also played a nice game, scoring seven points, while helping Riggs bring the ball down the court and playing a tough defensive game. Kennedy Parsons scored six markers and grabbed eight boards.