Palmyra girls weather first-half storm, Monroe City boys take control early in CCC victories

MONROE CITY, Mo. — The Monroe City girls basketball team had everyone thinking upset.

The Palmyra boys never got that chance.

In a Clarence Cannon Conference showcase doubleheader Tuesday, the two teams either state ranked or in that conversation walked away with victories, albeit in decidedly different manners.

Outscored 16-4 in the first quarter and trailing by a point at halftime, the Palmyra girls took control in the third quarter and avoided the upset, beating Monroe City 54-36 after going on a 19-5 run in the third quarter.

The nightcap saw the Monroe City boys, ranked second in the latest Class 3 state poll, limit Palmyra to one field goal in the second quarter and 10 points in the first half as they rolled to a 62-31 victory.

In the girls game, Monroe City’s Lucy Pratt made a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter and the defense limited Palmyra to two field goals. It started to shift in the second quarter when Palmyra scored 20 points with Jansen Juette scoring nine.

In the second half, Palmyra (15-7, 4-2 CCC) dominated the post. Candra King had 15 of her game-high 20 points in the third quarter. Sydney Compton added 17 points. Mari Gares led Monroe City (6-14, 1-3 CCC) with 15 points.

In the boys game, Monroe City’s Joshua Talton and Jaedyn Robertson combined to make four 3-pointers and score 22 points in the first half. It resulted in a 31-10 halftime lead for Monroe City (16-4, 4-0 CCC) as Robertson scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half.

Talton scored 11 points in the third quarter, going 5 of 7 from the free-throw line, and finished with 19 points as well. Bear Bock led Palmyra (12-10, 3-3 CCC) with eight points.