Championships were won by the girls and boys “Black” squads on Saturday night, at the Lions All-Star Basketball Classic, hosted by North Central Missouri College in Trenton. The boys Black team, including Trenton’s Connor Cotton, Hamilton’s Jaran Richman, and Chillicothe’s Ben Jones, beat the Purple squad 78-74 in the championship game. The girls Black team, a squad that included Gilman City’s Hailey Burrows and Grundy R-5’s Matana Munday, routed the Purple squad 84-42 in the girls final.
Action from the Ketcham Community Center started on Saturday morning, with the girls Purple team beating the Gold squad 61-52, while the girls Black team beat the White team 79-57. In the boys semifinals, Purple beat Gold 90-83, while Black downed White 73-61.
The third place girls game went to Gold over White 78-63, while the boys third place contest went 87-81, with White outscoring Gold.
Numerous North Central Missouri College Pirates were included in the Lions All-Star rosters. Jaran Richman of Penney High School is a future Pirate, as were girls Gold squad member Nicole Kost of Mercer, girls white squad member Lindsay Wyatt of Mercer, and girls white squad member Whitley Richman of Trenton. Future Northwest Bearcat Bailey Owens of Mercer played for the girls Purple team. Hailey Burrows of Gilman City is also a member of the Lady Pirate recruiting class at NCMC for Coach Jenni Croy. Mercer graduates Bryer Noe and Cash Hartley both suited up for the boys Purple team.
