It might have been nice for Jefferson High’s basketball teams to enter into this weekend’s district tournament with the momentum that comes with a late-season surge. As it stands, they’ll enter Thursday’s first-round games with desire and grit – but not those wins.
In Townsend for Friday’s game against Broadwater High School, the Panther boys just had a hard time getting the basketball to go thru the hoop. They scored just eight points in the first period, six of those coming from Bryce Harrington in the paint. Harrington would lead the Panthers with 16 points for the game.
The cold streak extended through the next two quarters, and the Panthers found themselves down 28-17 at the half and 38-25 heading into the final period. Then, finally, a few shots fell. Jaxson Yanzick hit the Panther’s only three of the game, and Jefferson poured in 17 points in the fourth period.
Unfortunately, Broadwater kept scoring, too, and the scoreboard showed 54-42 at the buzzer. Jefferson will have it chance for revenge very soon: It takes on Broadwater in the district tournament’s first round. Harrington led the Panthers with 16 points.
The next day, the Panthers took on Belgrade, a Class A team that will be moving up to AA next year. This time, Jefferson took an early lead, on a basket by Harrington, a three by Avery Stiles off a Yanzick steal, then two more buckets by Harrington.
Then, the Panthers hit another cold streak – and Belgrade caught fire. A 9-4 Jefferson lead with 1:54 left in the first somehow turned into a 17-12 Belgrade advantage four minutes later – and then ballooned to a ten-point deficit by the half.
Both team struggled in the third, knotting just four points each, and it was 31-21 Belgrade entering the final eight minutes. The Panthers made it interesting on a three by Trent McMaster and a steal by Harrington who fed Stiles for two. And back-to-back baskets by Harrington made it a two point game, 38-36 with 23 seconds left.
Could the Panthers pull off the comeback? A free throw by Belgrade with 11 seconds on the clock upped their lead to three. Then came the Panthers’ final shot, a three-point attempt by Stiles at the buzzer. And…it…rimmed out, leaving Belgrade with the win. Harrington once more led the Panthers with 21 points, and Stiles added 10.
Girls
The Lady Panthers also had a slow start in Townsend – and that doomed their chances in their last league counter of the season. Jefferson scored just seven points in the first quarter and another five in the second, leaving them down 24-12 at the half.
The game wasn’t over yet: An energized Panthers squad came out in the third with determination. Rachael VanBlaricom knocked down 10 points and Ashley Pankratz added a three, cutting the Bulldog lead to 33-25 heading into the final quarter. The last eight minutes was an even match, but that wasn’t enough after the slow start. Final 42-35, Townsend. VanBlaricom led the Panthers with 21 points.
On Saturday the ladies turned it around at Belgrade. They started fast with four threes, three of them by VanBlaricom, in the opening two minutes. Grace jones entered and sank a pair of baskets, and suddenly, it was Jefferson, 17-9, at the end of one.
The Panthers cooled off in the second, allowing Belgrade to close the gap to three at the half – and then one early in the third. Then Jefferson found its range again: A three by Pankratz followed by a steal and score by VanBlaricom gave the panthers some breathing room, 33-29, and they widened the lead to seven on a two by Mykala Edmisten with 2:43 left in the third.
The game see-sawed after that. Belgrade tied the game at 41 and then took their first lead in the game at the end of three, 44-43. But that was also their last lead. A steal and score by Ashton Oxarart followed by a steal by Armstrong gave the panthers a 52-46 advantage, and they held on for a 62-56 win. VanBlaricom led all scorers with 28 points; Armstrong added 8 and Pankratz 7.
The Lady Panthers open the District tournament on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. against Big Timber, the number three seed. The top three teams in the tournament will advance to the Division championship in Billings, Feb. 28 to March 2.
