Musketeers finish 2-2 at Sparta Mid-Winter Classic

by Trent Sternberg

Red Bud opened up their first game of the tournament on Jan. 21 when they took on the very skilled Pinckneyville Panthers. The Panthers, who had only lost two games all season, are also ranked as a top 10 team in the state. The Musketeers came out fighting hard. In the first quarter, Red Bud hit some shots from the outside and kept it close only trailing by 5. The next quarter, as well as the second half, would stay true to the rankings as Pinckneyville upped their pressure on defense and caused the Musketeers to have costly turnovers. Red Bud only scored 25 points combined in the second to fourth quarters leading to a demanding lead for Pinckneyville and a 71-42 loss for the Musketeers. The leading scorers were Luke Quintin (16) and Trent Sternberg (15).

For more from the game, please see this week’s print edition.