Opening their season Friday night in front of the home fans at Bland Middle School, Bland’s Bear and Lady Bear basketball teams welcomed Eugene’s Eagles to western Gasconade County.

Starting the night of hoops off was a two-quarter game between the seventh-grade girls teams from Bland and Eugene.

Leading 6-2 after one quarter, the Lady Bears outscored the Lady Eagles 14-5 to post a 20-7 victory.

Piper Marsee led Bland with a game-high eight points followed by six points apiece from Zoe Camden and Lydia Jones.

In a two-quarter game between the seventh-grade boys teams from Bland and Eugene, the visiting Eagles defeated the host Bears 21-2.

Kooper Elrod scored Bland’s two points dashing Eugene’s hopes of a shutout.

Kicking off the eighth-grade portion of basketball from Bland was the Lady Bears and Lady Eagles.

Holding Eugene to six first-half points, Drew Lansford’s Lady Bears went on to defeat the visitors from Eugene 43-8 behind a game-high 24 points from Anastyn Lansford.

Saige Garner nearly joined Lansford in double figures with eight points.

Ava Feeler added four points to go along with three markers from Adalyn Walters.

Cylee Reed and Lydia Jones rounded out the scoring for Bland against Eugene with two points.

Looking to pick up their seventh-grade counterparts, Jacob Walton’s eighth-grade Bland Bears capped the evening of basketball at BMS taking on Eugene.

Trailing 31-12 at halftime, Bland could not overcome the deficit before falling 52-21 to the visiting Eagles.

Chase Trainor led Bland with a team-high eight points followed by seven markers from Hank Stratman.

Braxton Wilburn, Garrett Gehlert and Luke Roher each chipped in two points to round out the scoring for Bland’s Bears.