Two solid efforts earlier this week led to a third-place finish for Nuttall Middle School’s seventh grade boys’ basketball team at the Little Eastern Illini Conference Tournament in Oblong.

After holding on for a win in Saturday’s quarterfinals, third-seeded NMS took on second-seeded Casey-Westfield in the semifinals Monday and held a late lead, but saw it slip away in a 41-36 loss.

Isaac Hardiman led NMS with 19 points, while Hayden Bonnell tossed in 10, Dane Mullinix scored three and Ian Schmidt and Wyatt Herrington each added two.

In Wednesday’s semifinal game, NMS rolled past fourth-seeded Jasper County, 42-22.

Bonnell led NMS (10-7) with 11 points, while Hardiman scored eight, Mullinix netted seven, Herrington and Evan Gilmore each tossed in six and Brody Keesling and Gavyn O’Dell added two points apiece.

Robinson was scheduled to play at Teutopolis Saturday and at home against Cumberland Monday, but those games have been cancelled due to COVID-19 issues within the NMS program.

Meanwhile, New Hebron dropped a pair of games at Olney St. Joe Monday, losing the eighth grade game 33-10 and the seventh grade game 32-25.

In the eighth grade game, Quinton Tuttle led NHCS with three points, four rebounds, two steals and one assist, while Owen Hackett posted three points and two rebounds. Aiden Green totaled two points, four rebounds, two steals and one assist, Isaac Hackett contributed two points, two steals and one rebound, Isaac Booher collected one rebound and one steal, Zoe Tuttle, Brooklyn Venters and Paisley Harrell grabbed one rebound apiece and Lydia Adams netted one steal.

In the seventh grade game, Isaac Hackett led NHCS with eight points, four rebounds, three steals and three assists, while Owen Hackett posted eight points and one rebound. Zoe Tuttle contributed seven points, four steals, two rebounds and two assists, Booher netted two points, two rebounds and two assists and Adams recorded two rebounds and two steals.