MARION — The tournament-opening win for the Bruins came with a milestone.
Blackford High School sophomore Mari Leggett surpassed 1,000 points Tuesday night as the Bruins defeated the Alexandria Tigers 62-54 in the opening round of the Class 2A Sectional 40 tournament at Eastbrook.
Leggett entered the game needing 23 points — below his season average — to reach 1,000. He got there with a 31-point performance.
He reached the mark in just 48 career games.
The game was tight for the first three quarters, with Blackford (18-6) leading by just two at halftime and one heading into the final period. The Bruins put the game away with a 21-point fourth quarter.
The Bruins also beat Alexandria by eight — 57-49 — in their regular-season meeting. The Tigers, who had won seven consecutive games heading into the tournament, finished their season with a 15-9 record.
Mason Kitterman turned in a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Eli Petro also reached double figures with 10 points.
The victory sends Blackford to Friday’s semifinal round to take on the host Panthers (13-9) at 6 p.m. The Bruins won the regular-season game 63-39 on Jan. 30.
The winner will advance to play either Wapahani (12-10) or Burris (10-13) at 7 p.m. Saturday for the sectional championship.