The high school basketball season is two weeks old, and the Lone Tree Lion basketball teams are appearing to be early season contenders in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference North.

The Lions’ girls basketball team (3-1 overall; 1-1 SEISC North) have won three of their first four games of the regular season, and have been strong on the defensive end. The Lions held their opponents under 35 points in all three of their wins this season, including holding the Keota Eagles (0-2 overall) to 15 points in a 21 point victory last Monday. Junior Madison Forbes is averaging a team best 8.3 points per game through the first four contests. Elena Sieverding and Maryssa Grover have each grabbed down 18 rebounds, the most on the squad.

The Lone Tree boys basketball team (2-0 overall; 1-0 SEISC North) opened the new season with two quality road wins. The Lions overcame a six point halftime deficit to overcome the Keota Eagles (1-1 overall), 68-63. Lone Tree came out the next night and opened the conference season with a 22-6 run in the first quarter, eventually beating the Columbus Wildcats (0-1 overall), 70-43. Junior Jovonte Squires put together back-to-back double-double performances, dropping 21 points and dishing out 10 assists versus Keota Monday. He followed up the performance with a 13 point, 10 assist effort versus the Wildcats.

The Lions return to SEISC North action tomorrow, ending their opening season roadtrip in Wapello. The varsity doubleheader is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. with the girls game and the boys to follow at Wapello High School.