Calvin Fisher scored 15 of his game high 27 points in the first half, helping the Monticello Sages overcome a fast start by the Meridian Hawks in a 63-53 win in non-conference boys basketball action Saturday night from Monticello High School.

The Hawks made five three-point shots in the first quarter to open up a 17-10 lead but the Sages buckled down defensively and outscored Meridian 19-10 in the second quarter to take a 29-27 lead and never looked back.

The Hawks cut it to eight late in the fourth quarter but they could not recover from a sequence on defense that including a personal foul by Cameron Getz, blocking Fisher on a dunk in transition, and then picked up a technical foul after the play, and Fisher sank three of the four free throws and the Sages finished the quarter on a 9-2 run.

Fisher grabbed nine rebounds for Monticello.

Luke Stokowski added 14 points and Ben Singleton added 10 points.

Garrett Meisenhelter led Meridian with 22 points. Nate Durbin had 14 points and Connor Hurelbrink had a game high 10 rebounds.

The Hawks drop to 10-9 overall while Monticello improves to 12-1 .

The Sages host Rantoul Tuesday night at 7:30 pm. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.