Panther hoops teams head into post-season

It was a busy week for the Panther basketball teams as they played three games over five days, at Manhattan on Tuesday, at Belgrade on Thursday and at Townsend on Saturday. The game at Manhattan was the makeup game that was snowed and frozen out in December. 

GIRLS TOPPLE MANHATTAN Ellie Evertz started the Panthers scoring with the first four points, and Aubree McMaster and Paige Yanzick each followed with a three to give the Panthers a 10-0 lead in the first four and a half minutes. The Panthers went on to lead 14-8 at the end of one on baskets by McMaster and Hai- ley Rogne. Evertz started the second with a free throw and a pair of buckets, then Latrice Vossler hit a three to put the Panthers up 22-13. Rogne scored, Ashley Pankratz knocked down a three and then the two teams traded baskets for the rest of the half. Getting into the Panther scoring record as the half wound down were Callie Warfle and Leah Vossler, and the JHS girls held a 31-22 lead at the half. By the end of three, thanks to points from Evertz, Leah Vossler, McMaster and Yanzick, the Panther lead had stretched to twenty, 49-29. Before the game ended, the Panthers managed a 26 point lead, which the Tigers were only able to trim slightly, and the game ended with the JHS girls out front 54-31. Evertz had a great game with 21 points. Adding to the Panther tally were McMaster with 10, Leah Vossler 6, Latrice Vossler 5, Yanzick 4, Pankratz and Rogne 3 each, and Warfle 2. 

BOYS TAKE CONFERENCE VICTORY In the boys’ game the early going found the two teams closely matched. Manhattan hit a three to start and Noah Fader answered with a three. Manhattan scored and Bryce Harrington answered. Josh Eckmann and Hayden Guisti each sank a bucket to give the Panthers a slight lead, 9-5, but the Tigers trimmed that to 9-8. Three 3-pointers in a row by Noah Fader put the Panthers up 18-8 but the last six points went to Manhattan to make it 18-14 at the end of one. Despite scoring by Harrington and Guisti, the Tigers pulled out to a 26-22 lead midway through the second quarter, but Eckmann and Nolan Sonsteng nailed threes to secure a 32-31 Panther lead at the half. The third quarter started strong for the Panthers, who moved out to a ten point lead thanks to an 11-12 run. The Tigers clawed their way back somewhat, and going into the final eight minutes, the Panthers held a slim six point lead, 45-39. The Panthers never trailed in the fourth, but it got exciting as the Tigers pulled to within one, 52-51, with 2:21 on the clock. The JHS boys hit enough free throws the rest of the way to pull out the important conference win, 58-51. Eckmann led the scoring with 15, followed closely by Sonsteng with 13, Noah Fader 12, Bryce Harrington 11, and Hayden Guisti 7.