The DeKalb County Middle School squads traveled down Highway 56 this past week and took a split at Warren County with the Lady Saints earning a close victory while the Saints took it on the chin from the Pioneers.

The Lady Saints started the night at Warren County Middle by earning a hard-fought 37-33 win. The Lady Saints got off to a strong start thanks to the hot hand of Avery Agee who sizzled the twine with a trio of three pointers in the first period to give the DeKalb girls at 15-12 advantage after one. Dare Collins then began her scoring spree in the second, scoring seven of her team-high 12 points in the second stanza, her output accounting for all seven points scored by the Lady Saints in the second. The Lady Saints led by 10 at one point in the second but a 7-0 run by the Lady Pioneers at the end of the period left it 22-19 at the half.

Taking a three point advantage into the second half, the Lady Saints found themselves in a defensive struggle in the third as both teams could only muster five points, leaving it a foot race to the finish in the fourth with the Lady Saints clinging to the one-score lead.

The Lady Pioneers began sending Lady Saints to the free throw line late in the ballgame. Collins accounted for the only Lady Saint scoring from the floor in the final quarter as she swished a three-pointer. The rest of the damage was done from the line as the Lady Saints were seven for 11 from the charity stripe, which accounted for enough to ice the game.

The boys’ game wasn’t quite as competitive as the Pioneers beat them 51-17. Jason Hendrix was all that stood between the Saints and a first quarter shutout as he bucketed a three to fix the first quarter score at 23-3 in favor of the hosts. Warren County’s Treyton Terry single-handedly scored 15 of those 23 while leading all scorers on the night with 18.

The Pioneers kept their foot on the gas in the second as they outscored the Saints 13-9 to make it 36-12 at the half.

Hendrix led the Saints with nine while Connor Close added five to the total in the Saint loss.

The Saints and Lady Saints next play Dec. 3 as they play host to Avery Trace.