Mother Nature threw a monkey wrench into the Jefferson High basketball plans late last week, leading to the cancellation of a Friday trip to Belgrade.
The JHS teams were on the floor Saturday, though, celebrating Senior Night with a contest against the Townsend Bulldogs.
The JHS girls played hard against the Bulldogs, but the third quarter doomed the Panther hopes.
Aubrey McMaster scored the first ten points for the Panthers. After the Panthers took a 6-2 lead two minutes into the game, the Bulldogs mounted a surge that put them out front 11-8. McMaster answered with another two and teammate Ashley Pankratz battled her way to a lay up that gave the Panthers a 12-11 lead at the end of one.
Ellie Evertz took over the second quarter, putting the Panthers up 18-14. Plagued by turnovers, the Panthers saw four miscues allow the Bulldogs to take a 24-19 lead. Evertz put in the last four points of the quarter, pulling the Panthers to within one, 24-23, Bulldogs, at the half.
The third quarter was the decider. Evertz started the quarter with a pair of free throws to retake the lead for the Panthers, and Natalee Stout swished a two to keep the Panthers up, 27-26, but the next eight points belonged to the Bulldogs as they took advantage of Panther mistakes. Ashton Oxarart rebounded a missed shot and put it in without hitting the floor to narrow the gap, but Townsend scored the last basket and took a 36-29 lead into the final round.
That lead increased to 41-29 with an old fashioned three and it looked bleak for the Panthers. The Panthers had different ideas, though. Evertz hit a pair of free throws and an old fashioned three to make it 41-34, Bulldogs, Pankratz sank a two, and Leah Vossler hit a pair of free throws. McMaster continued the comeback with a free throw and Evertz added two more free throws to pull the Panthers within two, 47-45.
That was as close as it would come, however, as Townsend slowed the pace and hit four free throws to hold off the Panthers. The Bulldogs finished on top 51-46.
Evertz led the Panthers with 21 points, including 11 of 16 free throws. McMaster collected 15, Pankratz scored 4, and Vossler, Stout and Oxarart each had 2.
BOYS TAKE ON BULLDOGS
The boys’ game with Townsend was low scoring, just as was it in the first game the two teams played earlier in the season. Townsend scored the first four points before Josh Eckmann got the Panthers on the scoreboard when he hit a three. Bryce Harrington followed with a two with 1:45 left in the quarter and Townsend scored with 45 seconds left to take a 6-5 lead at the end of one.
Mead Blake started the second with a three, Eckmann tipped in a rebound, Harrington sank a free throw and Jaxson Yanzick added another free throw to give the Panthers a 12-6 lead. That didn’t last long, though, as the next ten points went to the Bulldogs to give them a 16-12 lead. Eckmann found the net with a three with seven seconds left, and the half time score stood at 16-15 Townsend.
The teams remained close in the third quarter. Britton Peterson opened the Panther efforts with a two, and teammate Harrington stole the ball, dribbled the length of the court and laid it in to give the Panthers a 19-18 lead. A free throw by Hayden Guisti increased the lead, but the two teams were tied at 22 going into the final eight minutes.
The Panthers started the fourth with baskets by Harrington, Guisti and Nolan Sonsteng to go up 28-22 and they held the lead the rest of the game. A steal by Mead Blake led to a basket by Eckmann, and it was 37-34,m Panthers, with 12 seconds left. Eckmann hit a free throw to make the final score 38-34, Panthers.
Eckmann led the Panthers with 14 points. Harrington was close behind with 12, Peterson, Blake and Guisti each added 3, Sonsteng contributed 2, and Yanzick scored 1.
TOURNEY TIME
This week is the District 5B combined tournament in Belgrade. A bracket is in this issue of the Boulder Monitor. First game for the girls is at 4:30 Thursday against Whitehall, and the boys’ first game is at 6:00 against Manhattan. Jefferson High School has all-session tickets for sale at the office; adult tickets are $20, student all-session tickets are $15.
