CHS girls pick up first win by clipping Marysville, 45-43

Karlee Wahlmeier hit a pair of go-ahead free throws, and the Concordia Panthers survived a furious final few seconds to pull out a 45-43 North Central Kansas League victory over Marysville Tuesday night in the Concordia Junior-Senior High School gymnasium.
The game was tied at 43-43 when Concordia’s Zoe Bechard drove to the basket, but couldn’t get a shot to fall
Wahlmeier grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled with 18 seconds on the clock.
A 25 percent free throw shooter going into the game, Wahlmeier knocked down both ends of a one-and-one opportunity to give the Panthers a 45-43 advantage.
“I am going to quit saying anything to her because she makes them when it counts,” Concordia coach Michael Wahlmeier said, “For her to step up to the line and knock them down, that was big for us.”
Marysville inbounded the ball and called timeout with 17 seconds to play.
The Bulldogs got the ball into the hands of 5-10 senior Sami Bartels, who did not play until the fourth quarter because of an injury.
Bartels missed a shot, grabbed an offensive rebound, but couldn’t get the follow to drop.
The ball went out of bounds off Concordia with :00.4 remaining.
Terin Rundus stole the inbounds pass, and the Panthers picked up their first win of the season.
The Panthers, now 1-3 overall and 1-0 in league play, had four players score in double figures, led by Bechard with 12 points.
Kendall Reynolds scored 11 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
Wahlmeier also finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Rundus had 13 rebounds to go with 10 points.
Concordia got out to a quick 10-0 lead in the game.
The Panthers, with Rundus scoring eight points, led 14-6 heading into the second quarter.
Rundus, who made her first five field goal attempts, hit from 15 feet, and Concordia again had a 10-point lead, 16-6.
“Terin, in the first part of the game, got us started. That was huge,” Wahlmeier said.
Marysville used a 9-3 run to close the gap to 19-15.
The two teams traded baskets, and Reynolds scored on a drive to give Concordia a 23-17 advantage.
Three-point baskets by Laney Schaefer and Macy Roever pulled Marysville even at 23-23 at halftime.
There would be four lead changes in the first four minutes of the second half.
Concordia was clinging to a 33-31 lead in the final seconds of the third quarter when Reynolds stole an inbounds pass, scored and was fouled. She made the free throw to put the Panthers on top 36-31.
Marysville, 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the league, then opened the fourth quarter with an 8-3 spurt to reclaim the lead at 39-38.
Concordia trailed 41-40 when Bechard connected on a three-point shot to make it 43-41 with 2:05 on the clock.
“I thought Zoe stepped up and hit some big shots for us,” Wahlmeier said.
The Bulldogs tied the game at 43-43 on a jumper by Linda Franco.
Concordia turned the ball over, but Marysville couldn’t make good on a pair of field goal attempts.
A shot by Reynolds wouldn’t drop, but the ball went of bounds to the Panthers with 30 seconds left.
Bechard couldn’t connect on a short bank shot, but Wahlmeier came up with the offensive rebound. She was fouled and knocked down the winning free throws.
Concordia will play a third straight home game when it meets Abilene in a league matchup on Friday night.

MARYSVILLE (43)
Peschel 1-0-0 2, Franco 2-1-3 5, Schaefer 3-1-3 8, Minneman 2-0-0 5, Bartels 2-2-1 6, Lauer 1-1-1 3, Roever 4-0-3 10, Ronnebaum 1-2-0 4, Dressman 0-0-1 0. Totals: 15-7-12 43.
CONCORDIA (45)
Bechard 4-3-3 12, Acree 0-1-0 1, Wilson 0-0-2 0, Nordell 0-0-1 0, Reynolds 5-1-3 11, Wahlmeier 4-3-1 11, Rundus 5-0-3 10. Totals: 18-8-12 45.