HILL CITY—The TMP-Marian Monarchs boys and girls basketball teams split a pair of Mid-Continent League games on the road Friday night in Hill City. The TMP girls won 54-21, while the boys lost 51-41.
GIRLS: TMP 54, Hill City 21
Hill City had an early 3-2 lead, but the Monarchs’ Brooke Koenigsman connected on a three-pointer with less than five and a half minutes left in the first quarter, sparking a 13-2 run to put TMP (2-2, 1-0 MCL) up 15-5 at the end of the first quarter.
It was more of the same in the second quarter when the Monarchs extended their first-half run to 26-3 and built a 28-6 lead.
TMP led 33-13 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Monarchs closed out the game outscoring Hill City 21-6 in the second half on their way to the win.
Claire Schippers scored 11 points, and 10-of-11 Monarchs who played scored.
BOYS: Hill City 51, TMP 41
The TMP-Marian boys could not overcome a low-scoring second quarter, dropping their fourth straight to start the year Friday, 51 to 41.
After an early three-pointer by Hill City (1-1, 1-1 MCL), the Monarchs scored five straight points on a WIll Eck three-pointer and a Ty Schmeidler field goal.
But that lead was short-lived as the Ringnecks proceeded to outscore TMP 18-4 to end the first and cover the entire second and the early moments of the third.
Caden Dinkel connected on a three-pointer with just 10 seconds left, pulling TMP (0-4, 0-1 MCL) within two points. But a Hill City three with non-time left gave them a five-point lead at 32-27.
Hill City opened the fourth quarter shooting 4-for-4 from the floor, and they were able to extend their lead to 11 at 38-27.
Ty Schmeidler broke out of his 1-for-18 from three with four three-pointers and scored a team-high 15 points.