KARNS CITY — Neither coach was very happy.

Moniteau coach Randy Armagost shook his head in disgust over the way his team performed against Karns City Wednesday night in a 60-53 boys basketball win.

"We didn't play well," Armagost said. "It wasn't our best game of the year. It probably was our worst. I don't know why.

"But a win is a win."

Meanwhile, Gremlins coach Steve Andreassi was at a loss to explain his team's cold shooting.

"We're not trying to prove anything to anybody but ourselves," Andreassi said. "It was just one of those deals where, at the end of the game, we came up a little short. We weren't able to score."

Tyler Grossman was, however.

The Moniteau senior scored 34 points and hit two 3-pointers in the second half that might as well have been launched from Chicora as they were well beyond the 3-point arc.

"He hit NBA 3-pointers with a guy in his face," Andreassi said. "It's not like we were backing off him. That's why I've said all along that he's the best player in our league. He proved it to me tonight. Those two long, long 3s were momentum swings, to be sure."

Grossman's first long bomb gave Moniteau the lead back at 43-41 after it had lost it midway through the quarter.

His second long 3-pointer gave the Warriors their biggest lead of the night at eight points early in the fourth quarter.

Moniteau (4-1) nursed the lead the rest of the way for a victory.

Karns City (1-4) shot poorly all game, but it was particularly frigid in the fourth quarter.

The Gremlins were just 3-of-21 shooting in the final frame and a mere 17-of-66 in the game.

Karns City got that many shots off largely because of offensive rebounding.

Mark Ferguson, a 5-foot-10 guard, finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Gremlins.

"There's nobody in our league, I guarantee you, that has a motor like him," Andreassi said. "He is our spark plug. He is the guy everyone looks to for energy and motivation."

Ferguson was a symptom of the larger shooting disease for the Gremlins, however, hitting just 3-of-18 shots from the floor.

Karns City shot 20 percent from beyond the arc.

"We have a young group here, an inexperienced group," Andreassi said. "Basically, we're learning how to be in these games and how to react."

Matt Schandelmeier scored only two points for Moniteau, but had 14 rebounds.

As a whole, however, Karns City won the rebounding battle.

"Rebounding was horrible," Armagost said. "I have the biggest team in the league, and we can't get a rebound. They had way too many second and third shots, offensively."

Ultimately, though, Armagost isn't

too

displeased about the win.

It did come in a hostile environment. The Karns City gymnasium was packed and the game had a definite playoff feel to it.

"I don't know," Armagost said. "I don't get too excited about wins anymore.

"If you don't play well and still win at Karns City, you have to be glad."

MONITEAU 60

Tyler Grossman 10-25 10-15 34, Adam Cousins 1-1 0-0 2, Matt Schandelmeier 1-4 0-2 2, Zach Thompson 4-6 1-2 9, Tyler Armagost 0-2 0-4 0, Garth Kohlmeyer 1-5 0-0 2, Barry Jones 3-8 5-8 11, Matt Buczkowski 0-4 0-1 0. Totals: 20-55 16-32 60

KARNS CITY 53

Mike Senople 2-9 3-4 7, Steve Black 2-9 4-4 9, Mike McConnell 2-5 0-0 4, Cameron Turner 1-3 2-4 4, Kody Craig 2-3 0-0 6, Matt McConnell 0-1 0-0 0, Mark Ferguson 3-18 6-7 13, Jeremy Bowser 0-5 0-0 0, Charlie Zaludek 1-3 0-1 2, Kevin Beck 4-10 0-0 8. Totals: 17-66 15-20 53

3-point goals:

Grossman 4, Ferguson, Black, Craig 2

JV:

Moniteau 46-44

Friday:

Rocky Grove at Moniteau; Karns City at Keystone