Jefferson High’s basketball teams opened the new year on the road Jan. 3 with conference games at in-county rival Whitehall, drawing strong fan support and rewarding it with a sweep.
The Lady Panthers relied on defense early as both teams struggled to score in the opening quarter. Brianna Layng swished a three-pointed for Jefferson’s first points, and baskets by Michaela “KK” Morris and Eveland Hansen kept the game tight. Parker Layng hit one of two free throws late in the quarter to give Jefferson an 8–7 lead.
Whitehall opened the second quarter with a 7–0 run to take a 15–8 lead, but the Panthers answered quickly. Brianna Layng and Morris sparked the comeback with a basket and a three, respectively, while Kodee Cummings added back-to-back scores. Brianna Layng hit another three and Hanna Stevens capped the rally as Jefferson went into halftime ahead 22–18.
Josie Oxarart opened the third quarter with a basket and added another later, then Parker Layng connected from long range to help Jefferson extend its lead to 33–24. Meredith Rieder hit a key three in the fourth as the Lady Panthers closed out a 38–33 victory.
The Panther boys left little doubt from the opening tip, jumping out to an early lead behind Cobe Burnett and Tyler Frydenlund, and finishing the first quarter ahead 17–7. Frydenlund added an old-fashioned three-point play in the second, Tyzer Zody pushed the lead past 20, and Johnny Quigley energized the crowd with a huge blocked shot before scoring to make it 33–13. Logan Frydenlund closed the half with four points as Jefferson led 37–19.
The Panthers continued to pull away in the third quarter, building a 54–24 advantage. With reserves seeing extended minutes, freshman Mack Strauss helped Jefferson reach a 30-point lead before the Panthers secured a 70–44 win.
Jefferson hosts Missoula Loyola on Friday in non-conference games and travels to Ennis on Saturday. The Panthers visit Manhattan Christian on Jan. 16 before hosting Townsend on Jan. 17. Go Panthers!
