The Epifano Holiday Tournament for boys varsity basketball tipped off Thursday night, Dec. 28 at Miami Trace High School.

There were two games on the slate:

London versus Madison Plains got things started and Miami Trace took on the Rams from Greeneview High School in the second game.

London defeated Madison Plains, 43-35 and Miami Trace beat Greeneview, 53-47.

So, the match-ups are now set for Saturday night back at Miami Trace.

In the consolation game, scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Madison Plains (3-6) will play Greeneview (4-3).

In the championship game, Miami Trace, 7-2 and now winners of seven games in a row, will meet London (3-3).

Miami Trace had balanced scoring, with eight different players out of nine that played, making the scoring column.

Sophomore Grant Guess led the Panthers with 11 points. He made one three-point field goal to which he added five rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Senior Bryson Osborne had two threes and finished with nine points.

Sophomore Adam Guthrie scored eight points and pulled down four rebounds.

Junior Skye Salyers scored eight points and led the Panthers with six rebounds, including five offensive. He also had one steal and one assist.

Senior Austin Boedeker scored five points and added two assists.

Junior Trey Robinette hit one three and finished with five points and two rebounds.

Senior Coleden May scored four points and had four rebounds and senior Brady Armstrong hit one three-point basket and also had one assist and one steal.

Greeneview senior Chase Allen was the top scorer in the game with 17 points. He made two of the Rams’ three-point baskets.

Junior Joey Giannobile scored 10 points (hitting two threes) and senior Arman Walker scored six points.

Greeneview hit back-to-back threes to open the game with a 6-2 lead.

Two points from Guthrie and two on a put-back by Boedeker tied the game.

May tied the game at 8-8 and Guess scored to tie the game, 10-10.

Robinette gave the Panthers a momentary lead and after another trifecta from Greeneview, Robinette hit a three to give the Panthers a 15-13 lead.

Greeneview led 17-15 at the end of the first quarter.

The game remained close, as it would throughout, in the second quarter.

The Panthers led, 20-17 and the Rams led, 25-20.

Armstrong hit a three in the final seconds and Greeneview took a 25-23 lead into the break.

The best quarter for the Panthers — the one that inevitably won the game for them — was the third.

Miami Trace outscored Greeneview, 17-9 in that frame to take a 40-34 lead.

Osborne hit both of his threes in the third quarter.

Guess during one stretch scored seven points in a row.

Salyers and May each hit a bucket, continuing to confound the Rams as virtually every Panther was contributing to the scoring column.

Senior Chase Allen gave the folks from Jamestown a little something extra to cheer for when he executed a slam dunk early in the fourth quarter.

The Rams had an offensive rebound and scored to pull to within two points, 40-38 with 6:25 to play.

Guthrie and Salyers scored and after Eli Walker hit a three, Greeneview was right there, trailing 45-43 with 3:14 to go in the game.

Just about one minute of playing time later, Guthrie was at the line, making the first free throw, but missing the second.

Johnny-on-the-spot was Salyers, who nabbed the miss and put it back up and in for a reverse three-point play and a five point Panther lead.

The Panthers led by three points with 1:55 to go and five points (50-45) after a basket by Guthrie.

Guess made two free throws and Boedeker made one, while Greeneview scored a final bucket for the end result, a 53-47 Miami Trace victory.

After the game, assistant coach Brian Southward spoke to the Record-Herald.

“I thought we came out a little sluggish,” Southward said. “We told them that coming out in the third quarter, the first three minutes were critical. We had to come out and get them, and we did.

“I thought everything was good after that,” Southward said.

Southward spoke about the depth of the Panthers.

“We have all the confidence in the world in all of them,” Southward said. “I think we have a lot more depth than most teams.

“Trey Robinette came in and gave us great minutes,” Southward said. “He’s been playing a lot better the last couple of games.

“We have the five seniors and the other guys look up to them,” Southward said. “They really get after it in practice.

“We’ll come back Saturday night and see if we can win it all,” Southward said.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

MT 15 8 17 13 — 53

G 17 8 9 13 — 47

MIAMI TRACE —Trey Robinette 1 (1)-0-5; Grant Guess 2 (1)-4-11; Coleden May 2-0-4; Julian Baker 0-0-0; Brady Armstrong 0 (1)-0-3; Skye Salyers 4-0-8; Austin Boedeker 2-1-5; Adam Guthrie 2-4-8; Bryson Osborne 1 (2)-1-9. TOTALS — 14 (5)-10-53. Free throw shooting: 10 of 17 for 59 percent. Three-point field goals: Osborne, 2; Robinette, Armstrong, Guess. Field goal shooting: 19 of 46 for 41 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 5 of 14 for 36 percent. Rebounds: 28 (11 offensive). Turnovers: 14. Assists: 6. Steals: 3. Blocked shots: 0. Fouls: 12.

GREENEVIEW — Alex Horney 0-0-0; Chase Allen 3 (2)-5-17; Arman Walker 2-2-6; King Tripp 2-0-4; Eli Walker 2 (1)-0-7; Joey Giannobile 2 (2)-0-10; Hagan Wilt 0 (1)-0-3. TOTALS — 11 (6)-7-47. Free throw shooting: 7 of 14 for 50 percent. Three-point field goals: Allen, 2; Giannobile, 2; Walker, Wilt. Field goal shooting: 17 of 37 for 46 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 6 of 19 for 32 percent. Turnovers: 16. Offensive rebounds: 7.

____

London defeats Madison Plains in Epifano Holiday Tournament

In the opening game of the Epifano Holiday Tournament at Miami Trace High School Thursday, Dec. 28, it was London taking on Madison Plains.

The Red Raiders won the game, 43-35.

Senior Zach Jones of London was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points.

Sophomore Colin Nickell hit two threes and finished with 13 points and junior June Turner scored 11 points. He had two threes for the Red Raiders, who improve to 3-3 and will face Miami Trace in the championship game Saturday night at 8 p.m.

London was 14 of 39 from the field for 36 percent and 11 of 19 from the foul line for 58 percent.

Madison Plains (3-6) was led by senior Logan Walters with 11 points. He made the Golden Eagles’ only three-point shot of the game.

Senior Josh Long scored nine points for Madison Plains and junior Bryaden Evans scored six.

Madison Plains made 15 of 38 field goal attempts for 39 percent and went 4 of 6 at the line for 67 percent.

Madison Plains had 13 turnovers and London turned the ball over just seven times.

Madison Plains will face Greeneview in the consolation game Saturday at 6:30 p.m.