Mercer sweeps to semifinals, Grundy R-5 takes two losses, at Meadville Tournament quarters

The Mercer Cardinal basketball teams saw two seniors hit personal scoring milestones on Tuesday night, part of a doubleheader sweep of quarterfinal games played at the Meadville Invitational Tournament.

The #1 seed Lady Cardinals beat Bucklin-Macon County in the first game of the day, as senior Bailey Owens, a Northwest Missouri State signee, scored her 2,000th career point midway through the second quarter of a 69-28 Mercer win.  Owens finished her historic evening with a game-high 17 points, and became the second player in Mercer school history (joining Sierra Michaelis) in the 2,000 point club.  The milestone came just one day after Michaelis, now a University of Missouri senior, scored her 1,000th career point as a Tiger.

Future NCMC Lady Pirates Nicole Kost and Lindsay Wyatt both had 14 points and Emily Sample 11 points for Mercer.  Cheyenne Peterson paced the Lady Raiders with 17 points.  

The Lady Cardinals will play Meadville on Thursday afternoon at 4:30 in girls semifinal #1.

The Tina-Avalon girls beat Grundy R-5 46-26, as Lilly Churan paced the Lady Dragon attack with 12 points.  Hannah Colliver added 10.  Tina-Avalon, on Thursday night at 7 o’clock, will play the Hale Lady Cardinals in the second girls semifinal.

The Mercer boys had senior forward Cash Hartley score his 1,000th career point, part of a 14 point effort that led the Cardinals to a quarterfinal victory over Tina-Avalon, 50-31.  Bryer Noe had 13 and Grey Porter 12 for Mercer, pushing the Cardinals into a Thursday night (5:45) semifinal with Northwestern.  Chandler Colliver had 12 points for T-A in the quarterfinal defeat.

The Northwestern boys beat Grundy R-5 by a final score of 75-50.  Garrett Johnson had 22 points and Jaden Humphrey 21 for the victorious Eagles.  For the Panthers, Wayne Baxter had 21, Bryson Gann 16, and Carter Searcy 10 points.  

Here is the upcoming schedule at the Meadville Invitational Tournament: 

CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS (Wednesday):

Linn County girls vs. Grundy R-5 – 4:30 PM

Grundy R-5 boys vs. Tina-Avalon – 5:45 PM

Bucklin-Macon County girls vs. Northwestern – 7:00 PM

Bucklin-Macon County boys vs. Hale – 8:15 PM

CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS (Thursday):

Mercer girls vs. Meadville – 4:30 PM

Northwestern boys vs. Mercer – 5:45 PM

Hale girls vs. Tina-Avalon – 7:00 PM

Meadville boys vs. Linn County – 8:15 PM