Panthers struggle offensively in 44-23 defeat to Vikings
It took the Concordia Panthers just 2:39 to score 10 points in its home opener against Smoky Valley.
Hampered by missed shots and turnovers, the Panthers managed just 13 more points over the final 29:21 in suffering a 44-23 loss to the Vikings Friday night in the Concordia Junior-Senior High School gymnasium.
Concordia shot just 25 percent (10 of 40) from the field and turned the ball over 25 times in falling to 0-3 on the season.
After getting off to the quick start, the Panthers had scoring droughts of over seven minutes in the first half and more than nine minutes in the second.
“I don’t know how many turnovers we had, it didn’t feel like that was our main problem. The ball just didn’t go through the hoop for us,” Concordia coach Michael Roe said, “We tried a couple of things against their zone. The ball didn’t fall. I thought we got some good looks.”
Concordia got a three-point play by Cav Carlgren and a three-point basket by Chas Carlgren in getting out to a 10-4 lead on Smoky Valley.
The Vikings would make the switch from man-to-man defense to a zone, and the Panthers would struggle offensively the rest of the way.
“That is just something we have to work on,” Roe said of attacking a zone.
Concordia would go the final 5:21 of the first quarter without scoring.
Smoky Valley tossed in nine straight points, and led 13-10 when Cade Schneider knocked down a three-point shot.
A jumper by Bruster Bengtson 46 seconds into the second quarter gave the Vikings a 15-10 advantage.
Wyatt Trost, who sat much of the first half with foul trouble, made a layup to end Concordia’s lengthy scoreless drought, and made it 15-12 with 5:42 remaining in the first half.
The two teams would trade baskets, and it was a 17-14 game.
A layup by Trey Kennedy, two free throws by Ryan Heline and a three-point basket by Kennedy pushed Smoky Valley’s lead to 24-14.
Kennedy led all scorers with 15 points.
A short bank shot by Chas Carlgren, who was also saddled with foul trouble in the first half, pulled Concordia within eight points, 24-16.
Brandt Heble scored to give Smoky Valley a 26-16 lead at halftime.
Schneider, who scored 10 points in the game, connected on a three 45 seconds into the second half to put the Vikings up 29-16.
Concordia answered with a three by Jacob Rosenbaum, and trailed 29-19 with 6:47 to play in the third quarter.
The Panthers would not score again until there was 2:30 gone by in the final period.
Schneider scored on a drive to start a 9-0 spurt that extended Smoky Valley’s lead to 38-19 heading into the fourth quarter.
A basket by senior Ivon Owen, who led Concordia with six points, made it a 38-21 game with 5:30 on the clock.
The Panthers’ next basket, by reserve Tyler Hobrock, came with three seconds remaining as Smoky Valley locked up the win.
Chas Carlgren scored five points and pulled down nine rebounds for Concordia.
Cav Carlgren finished with eight rebounds and three steals.
Concordia hosts Marysville in its North Central Kansas League opener on Tuesday night.
SMOKY VALLEY (44)
Kennedy 6-2-0 15, Rauchholz 0-0-2 0, J. Lucas 1-0-0 2, Heline 0-4-1 , Schneider 4-0-2 10, Heble 3-0-1 6, M. Lucas 0-0-4 0, Bengtson 3-1-1 7. Totals: 17-7-11 44.
CONCORDIA (23)
Trost 2-0-4 4, Cav Carlgren 1-1-0 3, Williams 0-0-1 0, Owen 3-0-0 6, Rosenbaum 1-0-3 3, Hobrock 1-0-0 2, Chas Carlgren 2-0-5 5, Parker 0-0-3 0. Totals: 10-1-16 23.