The Jefferson High Panther basketball teams had a full weekend at the Three Forks tournament, with the varsity and junior varsity contests both Friday and Saturday.
The Lady Panthers started it off with a win over Gardiner. It only took a few seconds for the Panthers to put points on the board as Aubrey McMaster got the ball from Ellie Evertz at the jump to start the game, went down and drained a three several seconds later.
That fast start would be the start of a great quarter. Evertz, Leah Vossler, McMaster and Emily McGinnis put on a show of assists, steals and shooting as they ran up a 24-4 lead at the end of one. Evertz started the second with a bucket, Mykala Edmisten scored, Natalee Stout came up with a steal, Edmisten added another basket, and Vossler went on a stealing spree, coming up with six steals in the first half alone. Haydin Henschel hit for a two and the Panthers took a commanding lead at the half, 45-9.
The third was much the same as the Panthers were clicking on all cylinders. Callie Warfle ended the third with a basket to give the Panthers a 60-13 lead. Ashton Oxarart got into the scoring book with a steal and score, both Emma and Natalee Stout came up with a steal and the Panthers took a 70-16 win. All the Panther girls saw action and 10 of the 12 girls scored.
Evertz led the scoring for the Panthers with 21. She was joined in double digits by McMaster with 17 and McGinnis followed with 8. Other Panther points: Vossler 6, Natalee Stout 2, Emma Stout 4, Henschel 2, Edmisten 6, Warfle 2, and Oxarart 2.
The second game of the weekend for the Lady Panthers did not go as well, as they lost a heart breaker against the very strong Twin Bridges girls. It was close
throughout, and it took the Falcons two overtimes to capture the 57-52 victory. Leah Vossler got the Panther offense going, tying the score at two each midway through the first quarter, but the next six points went to the Falcons.
Vossler scored again at the end of the quarter and the Panthers trailed 8-4 at the break.
The Panthers started to make their way back on a bucket by Emily McGinnis, a three by
Vossler and a nice block by Ellie Evertz. McGinnis added another basket, Aubrey McMaster hit a three, and Callie Warfle scored to give the Panthers an 18-17 lead with 28 seconds remaining in the first half. A Twin Bridges buzzer-beater allowed the Falcons to take a 20-18 lead into the locker room.
The lead changed hands several times in the third. Ashley Pankratz tied it at 22, McMaster stole the ball and scored to make it 24-22, and Pankratz added another basket. Vossler made it 29-25 with a three with 2:30 left but the next six points went to Twin
Bridges and the Falcons ended the third up 31-29.
The teams were tied four times in the first five minutes of the fourth and with three minutes left Twin Bridges started a control game. Haydin Henschel hit two out of four free throws to tie the game at 40, and McMaster stole the ball and scored to make it 42-40. The Falcons tied it at 42 with 40 seconds left. The Panthers had a chance to go ahead but a couple of free throws failed and it was 42-42 at the end of four. Pankratz started the first over-time with a free throw, Twin scored, Evertz got the Panthers back out front, and McMaster added a free throw to give the Panthers a 46-44 lead with fourteen ticks on the OT clock. A pair of
free throws by Twin tied the game with four seconds left. The Panthers had a chance to win with two seconds left, but two free throws bounced off the rim and the game went into a second overtime.
Evertz had fouled out in the first overtime, and the second overtime saw the Panthers having trouble scoring. Shots were not falling and free throws were bouncing out. Before the second OT was over, Pankratz, McGinnis and Warfle also fouled out and the Panthers lost the hard-fought contest 57-52.
Evertz was again the Panther scoring leader, this time with 15. Vossler added 11, McMaster 9, Pankratz 6, McGinnis 4, Henschel 3 and Warfle 3.
