The Eagle Grove Eagles basketball teams returned to action on Friday night, as they hosted the West Hancock Eagles in Top of Iowa West Conference action at Eagle Grove Elementary School. The Eagle girls entered at 0-1, as did the Eagle boys.
The girls game saw Eagle Grove hang tight with a good West Hancock team for a majority of the game, as the Eagles trailed 11-7 after one, but West Hancock built the lead to 26-17 at halftime. The 2nd half saw West Hancock continue to slowly build on the lead, up 43-28 after 3, before clinching a 52-35 win. Eagle Grove was led by senior Calli Steil who finished with 10 points, while Nadia Kaiser finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds. Mallory Leerar led West Hancock with 20 points.
The boys game followed with Eagle Grove looking for their first win on the year, but West Hancock came out of the gate hot, leading 16-14 after the first quarter. However, the Eagles dominated the 2nd quarter, outscoring their Eagle brethren 24-7 in the frame to lead 38-23 at halftime. The Eagles continued the offensive pace, as West Hancock was unable to narrow the margin enough as Eagle Grove took home a 70-56 win. Drake Canavan led Eagle Grove with 26 points and 8 rebounds, while Tyreon Franklin had 20 points and 7 assists, while Mitchell Smith led West Hancock with 26 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.
Eagle Grove basketball returns to action on Tuesday, when they face county-rivals Belmond-Klemme in Belmond at 6 PM.