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JOHNSTON -- The Johnston' boys' basketball team proved its 3-point shooting prowess too many times for Marshalltown to manage, as the Bobcats fell to the Class 4A No. 4 Dragons 76-53 in Friday's CIML Iowa Conference showdown.
Johnston knocked down 11 3-pointers to help put away the Bobcats for the league win. Boston Grimes made five treys for the Dragons en route to a game-high 24 points, and three others scored in double figures as Johnston (8-1, 4-0) remained unbeaten in league play.
Chandler Heiser had 13 points, Peyton Williams added 11 points and Camden Vander Zwaag chipped in 10 for Johnston, which fell behind on Marshalltown's opening 3-pointer but scored the game's next eight points and never trailed again. The Dragons also shot 10-for-11 from the free-throw line in the second half to cinch the league win.
Luke Appel led the shorthanded Bobcats (4-6, 1-3) with 13 points, Austin Shomo made a pair of 3-points and had 12 points, and Josh Melde added 11 points as Marshalltown was saddled with its second consecutive loss.
MHS went to Johnston without head coach Scott Smith because of an illness and starting guard Bennett O'Hare, who is mourning a death in the family.
"We had too many breakdowns defensively," said Bobcat assistant coach Todd Beare. "We gave up either straight-line drives to the hoop and too many 3s. We definitely missed Bennett tonight just to get us into our offensive sets, and Johnston's pressure got to us a little bit.
"The credit goes to Johnston. That's a good team, they're 8-1 for a reason."
Makeer Kuony and Sunday Arou both pitched in with six points for the Bobcats, who travel to face Fort Dodge on Tuesday.
On the girls' side, Marshalltown got knocked down early and never got up off the mat in a 70-21 loss to 5A No. 7 Johnston.
The Bobcats were without head coach Stacy O'Hare, whose mother's funeral is today. Marshalltown trailed 24-6 after the first quarter and 49-14 at the half.
No statistics were available as of press time.