HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs basketball teams opened up the season with a pair of wins over the Fire from Life Prep Academy.
Girls: TMP 37, Life Prep 33
In the first game of the day TMP fell behind early but Emilee Lane scored eight of her game-high 18 in the first quarter to help the Monarchs build an 8-5 lead.
The Fire briefly tied the game at eight in the second quarter before Lane and Sophia Balthazor combined to scored seven in-a-row as the Monarchs built their largest lead of the game at 15-8. Life Prep scored the next nine and lead 17-15 at the halftime break.
TMP was again able to take the lead out of the quarter break, this time scored six straight to lead 21-17. The Fire briefly took a one-point lead before Lane game TMP the 23-22 lead through three quarters.
Trailed 24-23 to open the fourth quarter TMP- Jaci VonLintel scored four straight at the free throw line to put TMP up 27-24.
Down one Lane gave TMP the lead at 31-30 with less than 40 second left and the Monarchs hit enough free throws down the stretch to clinch the 37-33 win.
Lane finished with a game-high 18 points and eight rebounds.
Game highlights
Boys: TMP 70, Life Prep 55
TMP Jackson Schulte led all scorers with 32 points and Dylan Werth added a career-high 20 as the Monarchs downed Life Prep 70-55 Thursday.
Coach Bill Meagher
TMP opened the game with a pair of three-points and led 6-2 only to see the two teams trade leads in the first quarter with the Fire taking a 12-10 lead after one quarter.
The back-and-forth action continued into the second quarter with the Fire leading by as much as three before Werth scored back-to-back buckets to put TMP up 25-24.
A Jace Wentling three-point play gave TMP a 28-27 lead late in the second quarter but the Fire got another bucket late in the quarter to take a 29-28 lead into the break.
In the second half TMP outscored the Fire 15-2 to open the third quarter as they built a 43-31 lead. During that stretch Schulte hit back-to-back three pointers and added a three-point play. Kenton Ginther added a three off the bench as the Monarchs led 46-33 through three quarters.
In the fourth quarter TMP led by as man as 18. The Fire were able to close the gap to 11 but Lucas Lang hit his second three of the game giving TMP a 62-48 lead. The Monarchs went onto pick up the 70-55 win.
Game highlights
Schulte led all scored with 32 points.
Both TMP boys and girls will take on Hugoton Friday afternoon at Hays High School. The girls game with tip-off at 3 p.m.