Several area middle school basketball teams were in action Thursday night, with close contests, road tests, and strong performances highlighting the evening.
Bellefontaine 8th Grade Girls
The Bellefontaine 8th-grade Lady Chiefs fell on the road to Urbana, 23–7, dropping their record to 5–4 on the season. Bellefontaine struggled to find an offensive rhythm but continued to compete throughout the contest.
Scoring for the Lady Chiefs: Annie Gallaway finished with 5 points, while Sam Bricker added 2.
Bellefontaine returns to action Saturday with a home matchup against Wapak.
Bellefontaine 7th Grade Girls
The 7th-grade Lady Chiefs were edged by Urbana in a hard-fought battle, 25–23. Bellefontaine stayed within striking distance throughout but came up just short in the closing moments.
Scoring: Leah Harvey led the way with 12 points, followed by Braelynn Neer with 5, Myra Varner with 4, and Mia Regula with 1.
Bellefontaine will also host Wapak on Saturday morning.
West Liberty-Salem 8th Grade Boys
West Liberty-Salem’s 8th-grade boys picked up a home win over Madison Plains, 41–27, improving their record to 7–1 on the season.
Foster King led the Tigers with 12 points, while Kipton Crowder scored 8. Liam Harrington added 6 points, AJ Estes had 4, and Mack Heminger finished with 3. Calen Fairchild, Jacob Bahan, Elijah Lyburtus, and Mason Wallace each scored 2 points.
The Tigers will travel to Southeastern on Monday with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m.
West Liberty-Salem 7th Grade Boys
The 7th-grade boys battled undefeated Madison Plains and fell 52–34 despite strong team play.
Harrison Sutherin led West Liberty-Salem with 14 points and five rebounds. Greyson Leichty and Miles Wright each scored 8 points, with Wright adding three rebounds. Colten Christison and Michael Beard each scored 2 points.
Madison Plains was led by Cole Warner’s 20 points.
West Liberty-Salem returns to action Monday at Southeastern.
West Liberty-Salem 8th Grade Girls
The West Liberty-Salem 8th-grade girls earned a 24–10 win over Madison Plains in a shortened, two-quarter contest. Bella Johnson led the scoring with 8 points, while Avery Randall added 6. Avery Brown scored 4, and Lilly Yeater, Rylee Falloon, and Lilly Collins each had 2 points.
The Tigers are back in action Monday, January 12, at home against Southeastern.
West Liberty-Salem 8th Grade Girls
The 7th-grade girls dropped a road game to Madison Plains, 23–12, moving their record to 5–3.
Chloe Staten scored 6 points, Zoey Richardson added 4, and Ava Prater finished with 2.
West Liberty-Salem will host Southeastern on January 12 with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Indian Lake 8th Grade Boys
The Indian Lake 8th-grade boys stayed hot on the road, winning their eighth straight game with a 50–37 victory at North Union. Indian Lake is now 8–2 on the season.
Miller Hall and Mason Berg led the Lakers with 14 points each, combining for six three-pointers, with Hall knocking down four and Berg adding two. Colt Volbrecht chipped in 13 points, Brady Jackson scored 7, and Calen McClelland finished with 2.
Indian Lake returns home Monday night to take on London.
