Top-seeded Panthers, third-seeded Cougars will meet for district championship

MONROE CITY, Mo. — Joshua Talton and the Monroe City boys basketball team made it crystal clear who the team to beat in the Class 3 District 6 tournament is.

And it didn’t take long to deliver the message.

Talton, the senior guard, scored 14 of the top-seeded Panthers’ 25 first-quarter points Friday night and guided Monroe City to a 71-52 victory over fourth-seeded South Shelby in the district semifinals Friday night.

Monroe City will face third-seeded Highland at 6 p.m. Saturday for the championship. The Cougars knocked off second-seeded Palmyra 64-43 in the other semifinal.

The Panthers went 18 of 24 from the free-throw line with Kyle Hays going 6 of 6 in the fourth quarter. Joshua Talton finished with a game-high 27 points. Josiah Talton and Kyle Hays each had 10 points.

Trey Countryman led the Cardinals with 14 points, and Jayden Baker added 12.

In the other semifinal, the Cougars hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter and bolted to a 17-5 lead. In the third quarter, Highland’s Drew Mallett scored 11 points as the Cougars went on a 17-11 surge. Highland went 8 of 14 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to seal it.

Mallett finished with 22 points, while Alex Meyer added 17 points and Cameron Bringer had 13 points. Laydin Lochman led the Panthers with 13 points, while Bear Bock was limited to just six.