Panthers fall to Red Raiders, 54-42
WAMEGO — The Wamego Red Raiders started to knock down shots in the second half and the Concordia Panthers were unable to do the same on their way to a 54-42 North Central Kansas League road loss on Friday night.
Wamego shot just over 30 percent from the field in the first half, and was just one of nine from three-point range, but still led Concordia 20-19.
The Red Raiders, connecting on three threes, matched its first half total with 20 points in the third quarter to go up 40-29.
Wamego would extend the lead to 18 points early in the fourth period and Concordia got no closer than the final margin of 12 points on its way to a second consecutive defeat.
The Panthers were 6-0 following a win at Clifton-Clyde last Monday night, but then fell to Clay Center at home on Tuesday and then Wamego. They are now 2-2 in league play.
“We are just struggling offensively the last couple of games. We are not in a rhythm offensively and obviously we are not shooting the ball well. We are missing easy shots,” Concordia coach Derek Holmes said. “You can’t expect to win games shooting between 30 and 40 percent.”
The Panthers finished the game 14 of 39 from the field for 36 percent and were just 3 of 13 from three-point range.
Wamego, 4-2 overall and 2-0 in league play, got out to a 7-2 lead in the game.
A three-point basket by Payton Breese started a 9-0 spurt that gave Concordia an 11-7 advantage.
The Red Raiders missed seven straight shots during that stretch.
Concordia took an 11-8 lead into the second quarter, and was on top 16-12 three minutes in.
Scoring six straight points, Wamego recaptured the lead at 18-16.
Joey Henderson made a three to put the Panthers back on top, 19-18.
A bucket by Joey Shea gave the Red Raiders a 20-19 halftime advantage.
“We had some key turnovers. And when you combine turnovers with not shooting the ball well, you are not going to score very many points,” Holmes said.
Concordia missed its first four shots in the second half and Wamego tossed in seven straight points to go up 27-19.
The first points for the Panthers came on a pair of free throws by Cav Carlgren with 4:10 gone by, that made it 27-21.
Concordia did not connect on a field goal in the second half until Tyler Hobrock scored inside with 1:35 remaining.
Wamego got up by as many as 13 points, 40-27.
Carlgren scored off an offensive rebound as time expired in the period to get the Panthers within 11 points, 40-29. He finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Scoring the first seven points of the final quarter Wamego stretched its lead to 47-29.
Concordia was unable to challenge the Red Raiders over the final five minutes.
Hobrock joined Carlgren in double figures with 11 points and also grabbed six rebounds.
Jake Fritz and Ledjor Rowden scored 13 points each for Wamego.
The Panthers will play at Marysville on Tuesday and then host Chapman on Friday.
“We have got to get these two games next week; that is the bottom line. We are two games back of Wamego already,” Holmes said.
CONCORDIA (42)
Henderson 2-0-3 5, Carlgren 5-6-0 16, Garcia 0-0-2 0, Cash 1-0-3 2, Breese 2-0-2 6, Hobrock 4-3-1 11, Turner 0-2-1 2. Totals: 14-11-11 42.
WAMEGO (54)
Cottom 1-0-1 2, Shea 2-0-2 4, Winter 1-0-1 2, Fritz 5-1-2 13, Donahue 4-1-1 9, Springer 1-4-0 6, DeRouchey 1-0-4 2, Morenz 0-1-2 1, Rowden 5-0-1 13, Schoenbeck 1-0-3 2. Totals: 16-7-17 54.