Mountain Lions rout Red Bird 81-39

Published 10:14 am Monday, December 20, 2021

PINEVILLE – In the first 4:14 of the game on Friday, there were four lead changes and three ties, but the contest quickly got out of hand for the visitors.

Freshman guard Sawyer Thompson scored 17 of his game-high 23 points in the final 3:46 of the opening quarter as Pineville rolled to an 81-39 victory over Red Bird.

Pineville shot 50 percent from the field on 28 of 56. The Mountain Lions held a 33-17 advantage on the boards. The Cardinals had 18 turnovers compared to nine for Pineville.

Thompson knocked down three 3-pointers, Evan Biliter made two and Ashton Moser added another as the Mountain Lions took a 33-16 after one quarter.

Pineville opened the game by hitting 11 of 19 from the field. The Cardinals committed eight turnovers in the period.

It only got worst for Red Bird in the second quarter, as Pineville held the Cardinals to a single point and scored 25 of their own.

Dylan Honeycutt fired in three treys and Moser scored eight points in the quarter as the Lions led 58-17 at halftime.
With a running clock in the second half, Pineville held a 13-12 edge in the third period and both teams scored 10 points each in the last eight minutes.

Moser, a freshman forward, finished the game with 17 points and six rebounds. Biliter, a junior forward, scored 13 while Honeycutt, a senior guard, added 10.

The Mountain Lions got five points and six rebounds from Eli Thompson. Four points each from Dakota Walters and Ashton Burns. Kaiden Robbins added three points while Devon Morris had two.

Senior center Victor Ilunga led the Cardinals with 14 points. Mark Ngulungu scored nine. Felix Onosumba contributed six. Juan Bynum and Jordan Gray tossed in five apiece.

The Mountain Lions played without the services of sophomores Logunn Littles, Jacob Maggard, Brady Phipps, and Sam Caldwell.

Pineville (5-3) will open play in the Battle of the Borders Classic on Tuesday in Lee, Va. The Mountain Lions will host the Chain Rock Classic from Dec. 28-30.

Red Bird (2-8) doesn’t again until the 13th Region All “A” Classic at Harlan on Jan. 8. The Cardinals will face the Green Dragons in the first round.