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Macksville, St. John split basketball wins
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St. John's Braxton Alpers (22) jumps against Macksville's Diego Esparza (3) to start Friday's Central Prairie League basketball game. - photo by Courtesy Photo by Dick Smith

ST. JOHN GIRLS 41, MACKSVILLE 32 – The St. John Tiger girls captured the Central Prairie League basketball title with a 41-32 victory over Macksville. The No. 2 ranked 1A Div. 1 Tigers (19-1, 8-0) won the CPL title for the first time since 2012. Hoxie beat the Tigers 55-45 for the 2012 state basketball title.

St. John's Gentri Bright scored 13 points and Heidi Fisher added 10 points. The Tigers converted 11 of 32 free throws.

Macksville’s Mayce Russell contributed 15 points and five steals.

St. John 10 18 9 4 – 41

Macksville 12 7 8 5 – 41

ST. JOHN (19-1, 8-0)—Bright 4 5-8 13, Heidi Fisher 4 2-8 10, Bonner 4 1-2 9, Reed 2 2-8 6, Brummer 1 0-0 2, Mayer 0 1-6 1, Totals 15 11-32 41.

MACKSVILLE (12-7, 6-2)—Russell 5-18 5-6 15, Sanders 3-3 1-4 7, Ortiz 1-4 0-0 2, Adams 2-7 0-0 4, Butler 2-7 0-0 4, Garcia 0-3 0-0 0, Totals 13-42 6-10 32.

3-pointers—M 0-2 (Russell 0-1, Ortiz 0-1). Rebounds—M 21 (Sanders 7). Assists—M 10 (Sanders 4). Steals—M 13 (Russell 5).

MACKSVILLE 59, ST. JOHN 52 – Macksville’s Diego Esparza scored 19 points with six assists and Hector Gomez added 17 points in a hard-fought 59-52 Central Prairie League basketball over St. John. 

St. John converted eight 3-pointers to outscore the Mustangs 24-15. Brody Vieux made four 3-pointers and scored a career high 14 points Braxton Alpers scored 13 points and Alan Valenzuela added nine points.

Macksville (13-6, 6-2 CPL) and St. John (10-10, 4-4 CPL) will be rematched in Thursday's 1A basketball substate.

St. John 10 18 9 4 – 52

Macksville 12 7 8 5 – 59

ST. JOHN (10-10, 4-4)–Vieux 4 2-2 14, Alpers 4 3-6 13, Valenzuela 3 2-2 9, Portillo 3 1-2 8, Smith 3 0-0 6, Fernandez 1 0-0 2, Foote 0 0-2 0, Totals 18 8-14 52.

MACKSVILLE (13-6, 6-2)–Esparza 5-15 8-10 19, Gomez 5-15 5-6 17, Grippin 2-10 0-1 6, Guevara 0-1 1-2 1, Holguin 1-3 0-0 2, Granger 1-1 0-0 2, Clawson 3-3 1-2 7, Totals 17-49 15-21 59.

3-pointers–SJ 8 (Vieux 4, Alpers 2, Portillo 1, Valenzuela 1); M 5-15 (Gomez 2-6, Grippin 2-6, Esparza 1-3). Rebounds–M 22 (Holguin 7). Assists–M 9 (Esparza 6). Steals–M 4 (Guevara 2).