BASKETBALL: Junior Panthers pound Gallatin County for 3rd Place

INA, IL - The Junior Panthers became one of only two Class M boys basketball teams to end their season on a high note this past Friday night, clobbering Gallatin County 55-35 in the Third Place game at the SIJHSAA State Tournament at Rend Lake College in Ina.

Ten Pinckneyville (District #50) players scored in the game, helping propel the Junior Panthers to a dominating second half where they outscored the Hawks 33-18 to pull away.

PJHS went up 9-3 in the early going after rebounds and stick-backs from Dylan Carns and Brian Kling in the first quarter. Pinckneyville continued to build their lead in the second quarter with a 7-0 run over a 1:15 stretch. Carns, Justin Restoff and Justin Bauersachs all had buckets during the run.

The Hawks responded with six straight points of their own and trailed by only five at the half, but in the third period, Carns scored seven of his game-high 15 points to stretch the lead to nine heading to the fourth.

Gallatin County scored only four points in the final seven minutes while six different Jr. Panthers found the bottom of the net in the fourth quarter.

Brady Louis and Miles Chandler both had 8 points for PJHS, Nick Cannon had 7, Bauersachs 6, Kling 4, Restoff, Austin Nehring and Tyler Rice each finished with 2, and Grant Jausel 1.

The rest of the Junior Panthers' third place roster consists of Hunter Clark, Ryan Brueggemann, Will Martin, Dominic Loos and Peyton Kellerman. Pinckneyville Junior High School is coached by Brian Kellerman, assisted by Haven Hicks.

Okawville defeated Cairo 55-50 to claim the Championship in Class M.