CHILLICOTHE — Both teams were in search of their first win of the early season when the Miami Trace Panthers visited Ohio’s first capital to take on the Chillicothe Cavaliers in the Frontier Athletic Conference opener for both teams Tuesday, Dec. 5.

After struggling in their first two games, Miami Trace found the range and that made a world of difference as the Panthers defeated the Cavaliers, 63-50.

Miami Trace shot just 28 percent from the field in its season-opener at Western Brown on Friday, Dec. 1.

At Unioto on Dec. 2, the Panthers raised that up to 34 percent.

Tuesday at CHS, Miami Trace made 23 of 47 field goal attempts for 49 percent.

The Panthers also made 82 percent of their shots from the free throw line, going 14 for 17.

Things were much brighter from the start for the Panthers, as they scored a season-high 21 points in the first quarter, while limiting Chillicothe to 10 points.

Chillicothe cut into the deficit in the second quarter, with Miami Trace leading 32-26 at the half.

Miami Trace won the third quarter, 11-7 as the teams saved the most competitive period for last, with the Panthers scoring 18 in the fourth to 17 for the Cavaliers.

Miami Trace had three players reach double figures in scoring, led by senior Bryson Osborne with 13 points. Osborne led the Panthers in steals with five and was one of three Miami Trace players with four assists.

Sophomore Adam Guthrie scored 12 points, recording a double-double with a team-high 13 rebounds. Guthrie had a well-rounded game with four steals, four assists and three blocked shots.

Sophomore Grant Guess scored 12 points to which he added six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one blocked shot.

Junior Skye Salyers scored nine points.

Senior Austin Boedeker scored seven points with two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot.

Senior Coleden May scored four points, pulled down three rebounds and added one steal.

Chillicothe freshman Caden Cox was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points.

The Cavs did not have another player reach double figures, although sophomore Cooper Stoneking scored nine.

“We could not have had a worse weekend than we had,” Miami Trace head coach Ben Ackley said, referring to a season-opening 53-47 loss at Western Brown Friday and a 55-41 loss the following night at Unioto.

“We didn’t play well,” Ackley said. “I didn’t have us where I thought I had us to start the year. We really struggled shooting the ball; we struggled getting into our sets. We didn’t do anything right Friday or Saturday.

“We had a really intense, hard practice (Monday),” Ackley said. “I thought it showed tonight. I thought we had breakdowns tonight, on both ends, untimely turnovers, dumb decisions — we had breakdowns on defense, but, for the most part, when we needed to make a play, we had guys step up and make a play.

“Everyone wants their number called, so, when your number is called, what’s it going to be,” Ackley said. “We have kids capable of stepping up. We just have to keep grinding and getting better.

“I saw a lot of great things tonight,” Ackley said. “We had major minutes from two sophomores (Grant Guess and Adam Guthrie) and a freshman (Julian Baker) in a big game tonight on the road. I thought Skye Salyers was big.

“Then, our guys who have to be solid were solid,” Ackley said. “I thought Ozzy was very solid; Coleden May did his job on defense. I thought we took their two best guys away and made it tough for them to get involved. I thought that frustrated them a little bit, offensively.”

The Panthers were down early, 6-3, but went on an 18-4 run to take an 11-point lead at the end of the first quarter, which was a significant part of the game, Ackley said.

“Then in the third quarter, which, in the first two games was a struggle for us, I thought we did a good job of taking control of the game. I thought we handled ourselves very well there.”

Miami Trace (1-2 overall, 1-0 FAC) will be back in action Friday at McClain High School.

McClain is now 1-1 overall, 0-1 in the FAC after a 69-51 home loss to Jackson (1-1, 1-0) Tuesday.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

MT 21 11 13 18 — 63

C 10 16 7 17 — 50

MIAMI TRACE — Ben Mathews 0-0-0; Grant Guess 6-0-12; Coleden May 2-0-4; Trey Robinette 1-0-2; Brady Armstrong 0-2-2; Skye Salyers 3 (1)-0-9; Austin Boedeker 1 (1)-2-7; Julian Baker 1-0-2; Adam Guthrie 4-4-12; Bryson Osborne 2 (1)-6-13. TOTALS — 20 (3)-14-63. Free throw shooting: 14 of 17 for 82 percent. Three-point field goals: Salyers, Boedeker, Osborne. Field goal shooting: 23 of 47 for 49 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 3 of 8 for 38 percent. Rebounds: 29 (8 offensive). Turnovers: 12. Assists: 14. Steals: 13. Blocked shots: 6. Fouls: 19.

CHILLICOTHE — Juan Miller 0 (1)-1-4; Caden Eblin 0-0-0; J. McNeal 0-0-0; Dom Barron 2-2-6; Cooper Stoneking 2 (1)-2-9; Andrew Hamman 0-2-2; Cam Badger 1 (1)-2-7; Caden Cox 4 (1)-7-18; Daniel Scissum 2-0-4. TOTALS — 11 (4)-16-50. Free throw shooting: 16 of 22 for 73 percent. Three-point field goals: Miller, Stoneking, Badger, Cox. Field goal shooting: 15 of 48 for 31 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 4 of 16 for 25 percent. Offensive rebounds: 14. Turnovers:17.

Miami Trace j-v team improves to 3-0

The Miami Trace junior-varsity basketball team raised its record to 3-0 with a 39-31 win over Chillicothe.

Conner Napier was the game’s leading scorer for the Panthers with 15 points.

Cade Whitaker scored nine, Julian Baker had six points, Mason Buchhammer scored four, Luke Armstrong had three points and Bryson Yeoman had two.

Napier, Armstrong and Whitaker each hit one three for the Panthers.

Karter Williams hit three threes and led Chillicothe with 13 points.

Ayden Stuleltz scored seven, Noah Netter had six, Levi Moss scored three and Devin Shell scored two.

Chillicothe does not have a freshman team this season.