The Knoxville basketball Squads swept Chariton on the 12th Annual Coaches vs. Cancer game by scores of 69-29 in the girls and 58-38 in the boys contest. It was no contest in the girls game with the Panthers racing out to a 43-15 lead at the halftime break and quickly got the running clock rule enforced in the second half. Maggie Wilkins scored 21 of her 27 points in the first half, while Katie Keitges had 16. Assistant Coach Troy Pearson told KRLS Sports the defense led to more transition baskets as the first half wore on.

Pearson:
“Started out a little bit slower on the defensive side in the first quarter 15 points is too much to give up, it’s always our goal to get single digit quarters. We had a little talk at the end of the first quarter and said 15 points that’s not going to do it, and I felt we really ratcheted up the defense in the second quarter and of course that leads to transition.”

The boys started slowly as Knoxville trailed at the half 23-21, but used pressure defense and a quicker paced offense in the second half to outscore the Chargers in the final 16 minutes 37-15. Kieren Nichols scored 15 of his 25 points after halftime, and Luke Keitges had his best game of the season with 18. The Knoxville girls are now 13-1 and 7-0 in the South Central Conference, while the boys are 10-3 and also 7-0. Both teams host Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on Tuesday.