KARNS CITY — Chris Bellis didn't have a particular message for his Karns City boys basketball team when they entered the locker room at halftime down by eight points at home to rival Moniteau.

“I yelled at them a lot,” Bellis said. “But I don't think it makes you hit 3-pointers.”

Karns City hit a bunch of them in the third quarter, wiping out that deficit with a 23-8 advantage in the frame on the way to a 56-46 win Tuesday night.

Ethan McElroy hit three of his four 3-pointers in the third and the Gremlins hit five as a team in the quarter to turn a 28-20 deficit into a 43-36 lead.

“We played better,” Bellis said. “Ethan came off the bench and shot the ball really well. The last two games he's come off the bench to score double-digits for us.”

Chase Beighley led Karns City (13-6, 8-1) with 13 points. Austin Fahlor added 12 and McElroy also ended up with 12.

“We're usually pretty balanced,” Bellis said.

Jacob Friel had 10 rebounds and Nathan Waltman pitched in seven points and eight boards for the Gremlins.

Moniteau built its first half lead on the strength of Ethan McDeavitt.

The sophomore guard scored eight first-quarter points.

He tried to bring Moniteau back in the fourth quarter with eight more points and finished with a game-high 21.

“We could not stop him,” Bellis said of McDeavitt.

Moniteau coach Jerry Day has been lauding McDeavitt's play all season.

Tuesday night showed why.

“I thought he was the best player on the court,” Day said.

Ross Tenney added nine points and Tyler McFadden eight for the Warriors (5-15, 3-6).

Moniteau led briefly in the fourth quarter, but Karns City surged ahead again and kept the lead.

“We were right there,” Day said. “We took them to the wire and we took the other first-place team (in the KSAC) in Keystone to the wire. It comes down to mental toughness. We just need to finish these games.”

MONITEAU 46

Tyler McFadden 3 2-2 8, Ross Tenney 3 2-3 9, Ethan McDeavitt 8 1-3 21, Jared Lominski 1 0-0 2, Gage Neal 3 0-0 6, Cory McKinlay 0 0-0 0, Bobby Mathews 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 5-8 46.

KARNS CITY 56

Austin Fahlor 5 1-1 12, Chase Beighley 4 3-5 13, Logan Pistorius 0 0-0 0, Nolan Riley 3 2-2 8, Jacob Friel 2 0-0 4, Ethan McElroy 4 0-0 12, Nathan Waltman 1 5-11 7. Totals: 19 11-19 56.

Moniteau 17 11 8 10 — 46

Karns City8 12 23 13 — 56

3-point goals: Moniteau 5 (Tenney, McDeavitt 4); Karns City 7 (Fahlor, Beighley 2, McElroy 4)

Thursday: Cranberry at Moniteau

Friday: Karns City at A-C Valley