The FMS basketball squads came up with a pair of big wins Monday night in Chapel Hill, beginning with a 28-17 win by the Lady Rockets and that was followed with a huge 39-30 win by the Rockets in a battle of the conference unbeaten.

GIRLS

In the girls' game, the Lady Rockets completely stymied the Lady Patriots on the defensive end, pitching a rare first-half shutout.

Forrest came out flying with Sydney Hill scoring the first four points of the game, followed by a Kayla Gillespie fast-break bucket to make it 7-0.

Micah Toombs took advantage of a Liberty missed shot when she drained a 3-pointer and the first quarter ended with Stevie Ray converting two free throws, putting the Lady Rockets in front 11-0.

Ally Blanton kept the pressure on to begin period No. 2 when she went downtown for three points.

Total domination

FMS still held the Lady Pats scoreless, while Kennedy Gillespie made it 16-0 and the final bucket of the first half was tallied on a rebound and put-back by Anna Blanton.

With 4:43 remaining in the third quarter, Kayla Adams nailed two free throws to finally get Liberty on the board, making it 18-2.

Zoe Long scored the only FMS basket in the period as the Lady Rockets shuffled players in and out, but the hometown girls still led by a wide 20-10 margin after three quarters.

FMS struck with their reserves the entire fourth quarter and came away with the 11-point win to move to 5-6 overall on the season and 4-4 in conference play.

Ally Blanton led FMS in scoring with six points, while Hill had four points, Toombs, and Shasta Beaty had three apiece, and Kennedy Gillespie, Josie Bond, Kayla Gillespie, Ray, Long, and Anna Blanton all scored a deuce apiece.

BOYS

In the boys' game, both squads came in with identical 7-0 conference records and it was the Patriots who started fast, leading the entire first quarter.

A Grayson Tramel basket gave Liberty their biggest lead of the contest at 16-9 early in the second period, but the Rockets dug in to cut the Pats' lead to 16-13 by the end of the first half on a pair of free throws each by Ryley McClaran and Ty Hengesbach.

Hengesbach threw down a long bomb to begin the second half and moments later, McClaran went deep to put Forrest in front for the first time in the game at 19-18.

Two Dylan Jones free throws stretched the FMS lead to 21-18, but Liberty scored four straight to re-take a 22-21 lead with 2:52 remaining in the third period.

Josh Meglis got into the long-bomb act with a 3-pointer and the Rockets took a 24-22 lead, entering the final six minutes of play.

Rockets take over

A Darrious Ransom bucket midway through the fourth quarter tied the game 28-28 for the Patriots, but from there the Rockets took control of the game, going on a 9-2 run to end the contest, moving to 12-4 on the season and 8-0 in conference play.

McClaran continued his torrid start to the season, notching a game-high 26 points for FMS, including five 3-pointers.

Jones and Hengesbach scored five points each, while Meglis had the one trey for the Rockets.

Bradley Houston led the Patriots in the scoring column, tallying 11 points, Tramel finished with 10 points, Ransom netted six, and Alex Freeman rounded out the scoring with three points.