By Matt M. Stutz

VAN BUREN–The Pandora-Gilboa High School boys basketball team picked up win number nine on Friday January 6. P-G defeated Van Buren 57-41 in Blanchard Valley Conference boy’s basketball action; outscoring the Black Knights in three of the four quarters.

Following a high-scoring first eight minutes of play between the two teams, P-G held a slim one-point advantage at 17-16.  

The turning point in the contest proved to be the second quarter, when the P-G defense clamped down, limiting the Knights to just four points. Meanwhile the P-G offense soared, pouring in twenty. The Rockets took a commanding 37-20 lead into the halftime locker room.

Van Buren would trim the deficit to 46-31 after three quarters of play, before P-G again outscored the Knights 11-10 in the final stanza.

Two Rockets reached double digit scoring, led by Aiden Harris who poured in a game high 21 points, while twin brother Colin added 13 points.  P-G got a balanced scoring attack from the rest of the offense.

The Rockets will turn around and travel to Ottoville tomorrow evening, Saturday January 7 , to take on the Big Green (8-3, 0-0 PCL), in a big early season Putnam County League battle.