PHILLIPSBURG – The TMP girls and boys basketball teams split a MCL doubleheader with Phillipsburg Friday night.
Girls: Phillipsburg 55, TMP 46
The Phillipsburg Lady Panthers clinched their first MCL regular season title since 1973 Friday night as they rallied to beat the TMP Lady Monarchs 55-46.
Phillipsburg rushed out to a 9-2 first quarter lead and the Panthers led 11-6 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter Phillipsburg’s Taryn Sides scored five quick points to put the Panthers up 10 at 16-6.
Down 10 TMP put together a 13-0 run capped off by back-to-back steals and layups from Jaci VonLintel and Kyleigh Allen giving TMP the 19-16 lead. Phillipsburg would close the first-half on a 10-2 run to build a 26-21 lead.
After TMP tied the game at 26 to open the second half Phillipsburg got a pair of free throws to take a 28-26 lead. But the Monarchs’ Kyleigh Allen hit a three to put TMP up 29-28. The Monarchs led by six twice in the third quarter including 36-30 at the end of the quarter.
Down six to open the fourth quarter Phillipsburg outscored TMP 14-2 and built a 44-38 lead. TMP closed within five twice in the fourth quarter but Phillipsburg made enough free throws down the stretch on their way to the 55-46 win.
Rose McFarland interview
Sides led three Panthers in double-figures with 22 points. TMP’s Emilee Lane led three Monarchs in double-figures with 18 points.
Game highlights
Phillipsburg improves to 16-3 and 8-1 in the MCL. TMP drops to 5-11 and 2-5 in the MCL.
Boys: TMP 65, Phillipsburg 60
The TMP boys fell down by 20 points in the second half and Ryan Stoecklein and Jackson Schulte combined to score 20 of TMP’s 22 fourth quarter points on their way to a 65-60 win.
Bill Meagher interview
Both the Monarchs and the Panthers got out to quick starts Friday night with the two teams scoring a combined 27 first quarter points.
In the second quarter TMP’s Jackson Schulte gave the Monarchs a 23-22 lead on his second first-half three but the lead would be short-lived. Phillipsburg took control of the game in the second quarter, finishing the first-half on a 16-4 run to build a 38-27 lead.
It was much of the same in the third quarter as Phillipsburg built a 20-point lead at 52-32. But down 20 the Monarchs defense settled in and Mason Robbins’ second three-pointer of the quarter sparked an 11-0 run to end the third quarter as TMP cut the deficit to nine at 52-43.
After briefly falling back down by 11 at 54-43 Stoecklein hit his first of two fourth quarter three pointers that sparked a 22-4 fourth quarter run that allowed TMP to go from down 11 to up five on their way to a 65-60 win.
Game highlights
Stoecklein and Schulte each scored 10 of the game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter for TMP. Robbins added a career-high 14 points.
Ty Sides led three Panthers in double-figures with 17.
TMP improved to 13-2 and 6-1 with the win. Phillipsburg drops to 11-9 and 6-3.
TMP returns to action Saturday against Sacred Heart.