Russell Conwell/Student Correspondent
Darren Kinnard
Section618.com

BENTON–Here is a recap of the second session of the 48th Benton Invitational Tournament.

Hamilton Co. vs Sesser-Valier
After posting impressive night one wins, Hamilton County and Sesser-Valier faced each other to see who would stay undefeated in the 48th Benton Invitational.

Both teams traded three-point plays to start the game. The Foxes built a 14-7 lead after one quarter. Late in the half, Sesser-Valier went on a 7-0 run to retake the lead 19-17. The Red Devils went into half leading 21-18.

The game stayed close the rest of the way with Sesser-Valier leading 31-29 after three quarters. The Red Devils trailed 37-35 but had the ball in the final 10 seconds. Gavin Woodland of Sesser-Valier shot the three for the lead but missed. S-V’s Carson Hoffard got the rebound and appeared to make the tying shot before the buzzer, but the referees waived it off, giving the Foxes the win.

The Foxes’ leading scorer was Brady Thrane with 14 points, and the Red Devils’ leading scorers were Woodland and Colt Packer, who both had 12 points on the night.

Meridian vs Pinckneyville
The Pinckneyville Panthers tried to bounce back from an opening night loss, facing Meridian. The Bobcats beat Vandalia in their first game and were after a 2-0 start.

The Panthers led 31-26 at the half and started pulling away in the middle of the third to lead 53-39 at the end of the three. Meridian wasn’t done, as the Bobcats opened the fourth with an 8-2 run, but eight is as close as they would get. Pinckneyville pulled away for a 69-49 win, leaving both teams 1-1 in the tournament.

Kellen Scott led the Panthers with 24 points. Roderick Gatewood led the Bobcats with 26.

Benton vs Vandalia
Benton and Vandalia were both hoping to get back on track, after both dropped their first game.

The Vandals started hot as they had a 31-22 lead going into the half, but the Rangers came back with a 10-2 run midway through the third quarter, causing the Vandals to burn a timeout. Benton was still down 44-39 at the end of three.

At the start of the fourth, the Rangers came up with multiple steals, but they failed to convert those into points. The Vandals took advantage and finished off a 57-47 win, as the Rangers dropped their second game of the BIT. Vandalia’s Carson Ruot led all scorers with 21 points.

Friday’s third session will start with Sesser-Valier taking on Meridian at 5:30. Hamilton County will try to stay undefeated in the tournament, taking on host Benton at 7:00. Pinckneyville will face Vandalia in the final game of the night at 8:30. There will be two more sessions Saturday.

BIT Standings (through 2 games)
1. Hamilton County 2-0
2. Sesser-Valier 1-1
3. Pinckneyville 1-1
4. Meridian 1-1
5. Vandalia 1-1
6. Benton 0-2