Those who attended Jefferson High basketball games Friday night certainly got in lots of basketball. For those who attended the basketball games last Friday night, you certainly got in lots of basketball. The C boys’ game went four overtimes and the varsity boys went two overtimes –all great high school basketball entertainment. Even more exciting for Panther fans, the varsity recorded a four-point win over
Manhattan.
The contest started with Manhattan notching the first four points, but Josh Eckmann got the Panthers on the scoreboard with a pair of free throws and Nolan Sonsteng hit a three-pointer to put the Panthers out front, 5-4. After a 7-7 tie with four minutes left in the quarter, the Panther offense heated up. Eckmann scored, Britton Peterson added a two, Sonsteng sank another three, Hayden Guisti put down a bucket, and Eckmann added a three to give the Panthers a 19-11 lead at the end of one.
The Panthers increased their lead to ten, 23-13, on a pair of Eckmann free throws and a basket by Peterson, but then they went cold and watched their lead gradually disappear. Manhattan tied the score at 23 with 42 seconds left in the half, and Eckmann answered with his second three to lift the Panthers to a 26-23 half time lead.
Sonsteng started the third with a three, Bryce Harrington hit a two, and the Panthers held a seven-point lead. The Tigers roared back, though, and finished the third quarter in front, 39-38.
Eckmann swished another three to start the Panther scoring in the fourth quarter, and Mead Blake stole the ball and fed Eckmann for two more points, putting the Panthers out front by four. From then on it was back and forth with the lead changing often. Prospects looked dim for the Panthers with 50 seconds left as the Tigers hit two free throws to take a 54-50 lead. With ten fouls on the Panthers, the Tigers were allowed two free throws on every trip to the line. The Tigers had a chance to put the game away with 28 seconds left, but four missed free throws opened a window for the Panthers. Eckmann hit a pair of free throws and Harrington scored at the buzzer to tie the game at 54.
Each team scored four in the first overtime, with Blake collecting all four Panther points,
and the game moved into a second OT tied at 58. Jaxson led off the Panthers in the second overtime with a three, but Manhattananswered with a three to tie it again. A bucket by Peterson was answered by the Tigers to tie the score again. The Panthers took the lead for good on another three by Eckmann and went on to win, 71-67.
Eckmann had a game-high 35 points including 5 three-pointers. Peterson and Sonsteng had 9 each, Harrington 6, and Yanzick, Blake and Guisti each had four.
SLOW START IN WHITEHALL
The Panther boys found the going tough in Whitehall, especially in the first quarter. Whitehall put in the first 12 points before Mead Blake hit a three with 30 seconds left for the only Panther points of the quarter. Whitehall led 14-3 at the end of one.
The Panthers outscored the Trojans in each of the remaining three-quarters of the game but could not quite get caught up. Trailing 21-3 with 6:42 left in the
second Blake hit his second three to start a Panther run. Eckmann scored, Bryce Harrington hit
three free throws and Eckmann finished out the quarter with a two and three straight three-pointers to make it 22-29, Trojans, at the half.
Harrington opened the third with two baskets to pull the Panthers within three, 29-26, but then Whitehall went up 36-26 with 4:10 remaining. Eckmann, Peterson, and Yanzick all scored to get the Panthers back within four, 36-32, but Whitehall scored last to close the quarter up 38-32.
A block by Eckmann followed by a three by Yanzick narrowed the gap to three, 38-35, but the next four points went to Whitehall. Yanzick hit another three to keep it close, 42-38, Trojans, Harrington made a pair of free throws and the Panthers were within six after Eckmann fell down, kept dribbling the ball as he got back up and drilled a three. He hit another three with a little over two minutes to go but Whitehall hit enough free throws in the last minute to take the win 57-47.
In my 27 years of covering the Panthers I don’t think I have ever been more proud of a Panther boys’ team. They came back against a strong team and – facing all the injuries, sickness, and kids not able to play – showed they are not going to give up. That’s a real tribute to them and to the coaching staff.
Eckmann led the Panthers with 21 points including 5 three-pointers. Harrington scored 10, Yanzick 8, Blake 6, and Peterson 2.
The Panthers finish out the calendar year with a trip to Three Forks on Thursday. C games start at three, JV games at 4:30, varsity girls at 6:00, and varsity boys at 7:30.
