The Miami Trace Panthers junior-varsity basketball team hosted the Washington Blue Lions Saturday, Feb. 9 for the first time in the new Miami Trace High School gymnasium.

The Panthers overcame a slow start and went on to post a 40-29 victory.

The Blue Lions held a 9-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.

At halftime, Washington was in front, 15-11.

The second half saw the Panthers come back in front of a very large crowd.

Miami Trace outscored the Blue Lions 15-5 in the third quarter to take a 26-20 lead.

The Panthers scored 14 points to nine for Washington in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

Hayden Hunter was the game’s leading scorer for Miami Trace with 16 points. He hit three of the team’s five three-point field goals.

Ethan Steele scored seven points, including hitting one three and Bo Little also has seven points for the Panthers.

Rishaun Burns led the Blue Lions with 11 points. He had one three-point bucket.

Brice Cartwright hit two threes and finished with eight points.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

MT 3 8 15 14 — 40

W 9 6 5 9 — 29

MIAMI TRACE — Hayden Hunter 2 (3)-3-16; Christian Caldwell 0-0-0; Bo Little 3-1-7; Connor Bucher 2-1-5; Anthony Groves 0-0-0; Keegan Terry 0-0-0; Braden Osborne 0-2-2; Cyrus Keplinger 0 (1)-0-3; Ethan Steele 2 (1)-0-7; John Stumbo 0-0-0. TOTALS — 9 (5)-7-40. Free throw shooting: 7 of 13 for 54 percent. Three-point field goals: Hunter, 3; Keplinger, Steele.

WASHINGTON —Eli Lynch 1-1-3; Rishaun Burns 1 (1)-6-11; Karson Runk 1-1-3; Brice Cartwright 1 (2)-0-8; Drew Moats 1-0-2; Ethan Rogers-Wright 0-0-0; Mitchell Lotz 1-0-2. TOTALS — 6 (3)-8-29. Free throw shooting: 8 of 13 for 62 percent. Three-point field goals: Cartwright, 2; Burns.