Raiders win three straight
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By Dalton Shadle
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — The Raiders go into the holiday break on a high note as winners of three straight to improve 6-2 as the calendar for 2025 comes to a close.
Mount Ayr defended its home court with a closely contest cross-border shootout against Worth County (Missouri) 75-72.
Jackson Ruggles scored a season high 40 points in the victory, which included going 11 for 13 at the free throw line. Fellow senior Tate Dugan chipped in 11 points, while Drew Graham added seven.
On the road against East Union the night before in Afton, the Raiders won handily 62-43 in a game they never trailed.
Mount Ayr jumped out a huge early lead as they did not allow the Eagles to score any field goals and held them to a single point while putting up 18 points of their own.
Although East Union found some offense in the second quarter, the Raiders went into halftime with a 28-14 lead.
The Eagles would continue to chip away at the Mount Ayr lead with a 21-point third quarter, but the Raiders continue to score as well only allowing five points to be taken off the lead. Mount Ayr would leave no doubt to the outcome in the fourth quarter as they more than doubled up the Eagles output for the final margin of victory.
Ruggles led all scorers with 25 points. Dugan had 12 points and four rebounds. Junior Adler Reed had nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. Hayes Stogdill had six points and three assists.
Last Tuesday, the Raiders ended a two-game skid by defeating Wayne 57-42 on the road.
Mount Ayr jumped out to an early double-digit lead with a 16-6 first quarter against the Falcons. The Raiders added to their lead as they nearly doubled up Wayne in the second quarter as they went into halftime with a 29-13 advantage.
Both teams would come out of the break strong offensively but Mount Ayr would see its lead grow by three points, Although the Falcons would take a small bite off the lead in the final quarter, the Raiders still won by 15 points.
Ruggles was again the game’s leading scorer with 25 points as he also pulled down six rebounds. Stogdill also reached double figures with 11 points while he added five rebounds, five steals and four assists.
Reed would score nine points with six rebounds, three steals and four assists.
Mount Ayr will be back on the court on January 5 when they host Woodward Academy.