Franklin Monroe boys basketball team flies past Newton

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PITSBURG – Franklin Monroe’s Ethan Conley dominated Friday’s game against Newton in helping secure a 51-39 victory for the home standing Jets.

The Newton Indians had no answer for the 6-foot 1-inch sophomore, who connected for more than half of the Jets’ total of 51 points with 28 on 14 field goals.

The win moved the Jets to 7-2 overall and improved their mark to 3-1 in the Cross County Conference. Newton dropped to 2-5 overall and 1-4 in the conference.

The first quarter saw both squads looking to hang some points on the Hangar scoreboard but could only muster 14 points total. Newton came out on top in this canto by an 8-6 mark.

It was the Conley show for the first eight minutes of action. Senior Mason Conley had a bucket for 2 points, and Ethan Conley popped in several jumpers to total 4.

The second quarter saw the Jets refuel and almost triple the 6 points they tallied in the first by knocking in 16 points. The defensive side of the ball was just as impressive by holding the Indians of Mike Albright to 7 points.

After all the action finalized the Jets of Troy Myers held a 22-15 lead. Leading the attack was Ethan Conley, had 6 points underneath. Mason Conley followed closely with 4, junior Cole McGlinch added 3, Kameron Thurmond crammed in 2, and junior Zach Cable nailed one freebie.

The third quarter saw the Indians more than doubled their 15 point total in the first 16 minutes of action. They had 17 points by scoring in all manners.

The Jets countered with 13 points led by Ethan Conley, who canned in another 10, and was aided this time by junior Parker Hesler, who hit a long 3-pointer.

After all was said and done the Jets clung to a 35-32 advantage heading into the money quarter.

The fourth quarter fireworks saw the Jets hit for another 16 point quarter. Ethan Conley accounted for half of the total with 8 for a season-high 28. Following along with 3 apiece was Hesler and Cable while junior Kyle Ressler hit his only 2 of the night from the charity stripe to finalize the 51 counters.

“Ethan Conley was an animal tonight for us as we needed all of his offensive and defensive contributions. The rest of the team needs to get in sync and work together as a cohesive unit,” Coach Myers said. “I talked to our players afterwards about the importance of playing a whole four quarters and not playing two quarters, which we did tonight. We must get to the line more than nine times and capitalize more from our opponent’s turnovers.”

Scoring tallies showed only five Indians scoring for the entire contest. Austin Evans led with 12 points, Luke Miller-Search and Ryan Mollette had 11 apiece while Nick Honeycutt hit a lone 3 and Treg Jackson chimed in with a bucket.

Newton’s final stats show the Indians with three trifectas, 12 regulars and six free throws for 39 total points. The Pleasant Hill players shot only 55 percent from the line as they were awarded 11 attempts.

Franklin Monroe was led by Ethan Conley with 28 points, Hesler and Mason Conley each contributed 6, Cable 4, McGlinch 3 while Ressler finished things out with 2.

Total stat sheet offerings offered up had the Pitsburg squad with two 3-pointers, 20 regulars and only five freebies for its 51 points.

Franklin Monroe’s Ethan Conley puts up a shot during a Cross County Conference boys basketball game against Newton on Friday in Pitsburg.
https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/web1_Ethan-Conley-WEB-8.jpgFranklin Monroe’s Ethan Conley puts up a shot during a Cross County Conference boys basketball game against Newton on Friday in Pitsburg. Ken Hildebrand|For The Daily Advocate

By Ted Landis, Jr.

For The Daily Advocate

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