The DeKalb Middle School Saints met Van Buren County in Smithville on Nov. 16, taking a 45-34 win.

The contest was a stalemate at the end of the first period, with the score tied at 9-up. Michael Elswick put up two two-pointers for DMS in the first, while Eli Cantrell dropped in a three-pointer and Eli Cross sunk a basket.

DeKalb came out of the second period with a 24-22 lead after outpacing Van Buren 15-13 in the second. Elswick hit four two-point shots in the period, while Cross rounded things out with seven points on two baskets and three free throws.

The Saints increased their led in the second half with a nine-point third period, while Van Buren only managed six. Cross dropped in two more two pointers, as well as two free throws, to add six to the Saints’ tally, and Elswick hit a basket and a free throw for three more.

Van Buren managed only six, and as the game entered the final period of play, the DeKalb enjoyed a 33-28 lead.

Then the Saints broke loose, outscoring Van Buren 12-6 in the fourth on three Isaac Cross two-pointers, two baskets from Alan Munoz and one from Elswick. The late-game rally left Van Buren looking at a 45-34 deficit, and gave Dekalb the win.

Cross led the Saints on offense with 21 points. He was five-for-eleven from the foul line, and put in eight two-point shots. Elswick put 17 points on the board for DeKalb, going one-for-four on free throws and putting in eight two-pointers as well. Munoz added four points for the Saints, while Cantrell scored three.

DMS did not fare as well on Nov. 20, when they traveled to McMinnville only to suffer a 43-23 loss at the Hands of the Warren County Middle School Pioneers.

The Saints were outscored 9-5 in the first period of play. Cross sunk a free throw and a two-pointer, and Elswick scored two points for DeKalb.

The Pioneers did not let up in the second, putting 10 points on the board. The Saints settled for a two-point shot from Elswick, and the game went into half time with DeKalb trailing 19-7.

After the half-time break, the Saints hit the court with vengeance in their eyes, outscoring the Pioneers 10-9 in the third period and cutting the WMS lead to 28-17. Munoz scored seven of those points on two two-pointers and a three-point shot, while Elswick hit a basket and a free throw for three total points in the period.

Warren put the binders on the Saints game in the final period, however, scoring 15 points while DMS only got in six. Cross, Munoz and Elswick scored two points each for DeKalb in the fourth, not enough to prevent the loss. Munoz and Elswick put nine points each on the books for DMS, and Cross added five in the game.

The Saints record now stands at 3-5 for the season. They will travel to Watertown to face the Purple Tigers at 6 p.m. on Nov. 30.