The Lady Panthers added two wins in basketball on the weekend, but the boys were not so fortunate and came up short.
In Whitehall the boys found the going tough, coupled with that bug that just makes everything turn bad, and it was a long night for the Panthers. The first time the two teams played it was close all the way, but it would not be so this time. Whitehall started the game with the first nine points. Britton Peterson put the first points on the board with 3:29 left in the quarter and that would prove to be the only points the Panthers would get in the first quarter. Whitehall took advantage of the Panther cold shooting and turnovers to build a 20-2 lead after one.
Nolan Sonsteng started the second with a two, Bryce Harrington hit with 5:30 on the clock and Josh Eckmann sank a pair of free throws with 5:00 remaining but for every point the Panthers could get Whitehall would have an answer.
The Panthers had no luck at all, shots rimming in and out. Noah Fader kept some of the defense alive with two blocks in the last minute of the half. A pair of free throws by Harrington raised the Panther tally to 14, but the Trojans had moved out with 35 points at the half. Thinking things would start turning around the second half proved to be wrong.
A two by Lincoln Leary and one free throw each by Eckmann and Harrington were the only points in the third for the Panthers. It was almost unreal how the ball would not go through the basket. The relentless press by the Trojans continued to cause the Panthers problems and the first basket by the Trojans starting the fourth quarter put them up 60-18. The mercy rule went into effect from then on. Fader hit a three and followed with a two and Jaxson Yanzick made a free throw for the only other points by the Panthers. Whitehall took the win 62-24.
Eckmann, Fader and Harrington each had 5 points, Peterson 4, Leary and Sonsteng 2, and Yanzick 1. The Lady Panthers worked their way to a 10-9 lead after one with a three by Hailey Rogne, two pointers by Ellie Evertz and Leah Vossler, and a three by T Vossler. Five of the eight Panther second quarter points came at the charity stripe with Evertz hitting four and Latrice Vossler one. Rogne had her second three of the game and the Panther defense did its job in holding the Trojans to two points.
At the half, the Panthers held an 18-11 lead. The Panther defense did an outstanding job in the third in holding the Trojans scoreless but the lead did not increase much as Hanna Grimsrud and Evertz were the only Panthers to score, making it 22-11 after three. Whitehall closed the gap by three in the fourth. Evertz took over for the Panthers with very good defense and rebounding, and she put in 7 of her 15 points in the fourth. The Panthers took a 33-23 conference win. Along with Evertz’s 15 points, T Vossler and Rogne added 6 each, Grimsrud 4, and Leah Vossler 2.
Saturday was Pack the House Night and it was almost there with lots of purple in the bleachers. The Lady Panthers were down to the Manhattan Tigers early, 5-4, but came back. Paige Yanzick hit a pair of free throws, Evertz and Leah Vossler added baskets and the Panthers took a 13-6 lead at the end of one. Each team scored 6 in the second, Evertz 4 and T Vossler 2, giving the Panthers a 19-12 lead at the half. The first four points in the third went to the Tigers but the Panthers had an answer. Leah Vossler scored and then stole the ball and scored again, Yanzick hit a two and Rogne a three, making it 28-16, Panthers with 3:34 left in the third. Leah added another two and Ashley Pankratz finished the quarter with a pair of free throws to give the Panthers a 32-21 lead after three.
Manhattan made a small run in the fourth getting as close as six at one point. Yanzick hit a pair of free throws and Evertz a two to give the Panthers a 38-28 lead with 1:08 left. A pair of free throws by Manhattan ended the scoring with the Panthers taking a 38-30 conference win. Ellie Evertz led with 11 points, Leah Vossler 10, Paige Yanzick 6, Hailey Rogne 5, Latrice Vossler 4, and Ashley Pankratz 2.
Manhattan started the boys game with three free throws, before Josh Eckmann hit a three to tie it at 3. The next seven points went to the Tigers, including a goaltending call on the Panthers. Noah Fader connected on a three, but the next seven points went to the Tigers, giving them a 17-6 lead with 1:23 left in the first. Britton Peterson hit a three and Lincoln Leary hit a three to make it 19-12, Tigers, at the end of one.
The Panthers closed the gap in the first two minutes of the second on a free throw and a two by Bryce Harrington, and two three pointers by Eckmann. Trailing 23-21 with 6:00 left, Harrington tied it at 23. Manhattan hit a three, but Nolan Sonsteng answered with a three. Manhattan made three free throws, Sonsteng another three and the Panthers took their first lead on a free throw by Harrington, 30-29 with 1:15 left in the half. The Panthers went up 34-32 at the half on baskets by Harrington and Peterson.
The Panther lead increased to 41-32 with a three by Eckmann and a pair of baskets by Sonsteng, but the Tigers answered with the next 10 points to go up 42-41 with 3:20 left. Fader stopped their run with a two, Harrington followed with a two, Fader and Eckmann added baskets and Lincoln Leary hit a three to give the Panthers a 52-45 lead at the end of three. The Panthers went up by nine, 58- 49, with 3:18 left in the game and then the old saying that free throws win basketball games proved to be true.
The Panthers were two of eight in the quarter. Leading 59-55 with 1:08 left, the Panthers missed the front end of free throws twice, while Manhattan hit a three and a pair of free throws to tie the game at 60 after four.
In the overtime 12 of the Tiger points came from the line and they shot 74 percent in free throws in the game, 29 of 39, in taking the 78-69 OT win. The Panthers were 13 of 24, 54 percent. Free throws definitely did win that game. Josh Eckmann led the Panthers with 25 points, Noah Fader and Bryce Harrington each added 11, Britton Peterson and Nolan Sonsteng 8 each, and Lincoln Leary 6.
Here are the standings for the girls: Townsend 5-1 league, 10-2 overall; Three Forks 4-1, 8-3; Big Timber 4-2, 6-5; Jefferson 3-3, 3-8; Whitehall 1-5, 4-8; and Manhattan 0-5, 0-11. Whitehall leads the boys 6-0, 11-1,. They are followed by Townsend 4-2, 9-2; Three Forks 2-3, 6-5; Manhattan 2-3, 2-9; Jefferson 2-4, 4-7; and Big Timber 1-6, 3-8. This week the Panthers travel to Three Forks on Friday and host Choteau on Saturday.
