The Clinton Maroons hung tough with the sixth-ranked team in 2A for half Tuesday night but the Sages flexed their defensive muscle and shut down the Maroons to the tune of only ten points to pull away for a 79-37 win in non-conference high school boy's basketball action from the Sievers Center at Monticello High School.

In a special simulcast broadcast on WHOW/WEZC, the Maroons shot 7-for-19 from distance the first half to keep the game close, trailing 38-27 at the intermission.

Monticello shot 6-for-11 from distance in the first half. 

After a Brooks Cluver basket made it 46-32 with 4:56 left in the third, the Sages finished the quarter on a 14-0 run and continued it to the fourth where they led by as many as 42 with 1:01 left in the game.

Dylan Ginalick led all scorers with 22 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists for the Piatt/DeWitt County Player of the Game award for Monticello.

Mason Walker paced the Maroons with 18 points and six rebounds. Cluver finished with 14 points and four rebounds.

Ben Cresap added 14 points for Monticello, Trevor Fox chipped in with 13 points and Thomas Swartz added ten points off the bench. 

Tanner Buehnerkemper grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and Joey Sprinkle scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench for the Sages. 

Monticello outrebounded Clinton 43-25 and scored 40 points in the paint with 19-second-chance points on 13 offensive rebounds. The Sages converted just 13 Maroons turnovers into 23 points and added 18 points in transition. 

The Sages improve to 17-1 overall and the Maroons drop to 6-13. 

Clinton travels to Central A&M Friday night while Monticello hits the road to take on Bloomington Central Catholic.

Hear Monticello action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.