Vikings turn back Panthers, 46-40

A scoring lull to start the second half proved costly for the Concordia High School girls’ basketball team in a 46-40 loss to the Smoky Valley Vikings Friday night in the Concordia Junior-Senior High School gymnasium.
Concordia led the game 20-16 at halftime.
The Panthers scored just two points in the first six-plus minutes of the second half.
Smoky Valley tossed in 17 points during that stretch to go up 33-22.
Concordia made a late push over the final minute and a half of the game, but came up short.
“I felt like the girls kept battling. They didn’t give up, so there are some positives to that,” Concordia coach Trey Kuhlman said.
The Panthers led by as many as six points in the first half, and led by four heading into the third quarter.
Concordia (3-0) committed six turnovers as the Vikings scored 11 points in just over three minutes to go on top to stay, 27-20.
“Our physicality in the first half, I felt like we needed to carry that over into the second half, and we didn’t come out with that same physicality, and it kind of hurt us,” Kuhlman said. “I thought those turnovers were leading to transition points for them.”
Jaylin Roush scored Concordia’s first two points of the second half with 3:27 gone by.
Smoky Valley got baskets by Breanne Peters, Adrian Hazelwood and Trista Spitler to open up a 33-22 advantage
Hazelwood led all scorers with 20 points.
Two teams traded baskets, and Kenlee Williams scored off an offensive rebound to leave Concordia trailing 35-26 heading into the final period.
Smoky Valley (2-1) extended its lead to 12 points and was on top 43-32 when Hazelwood scored with under two minutes to play.
Carlie Carlgren made two free throws, the Panthers got a defensive stop and Taylor McDaniel followed up a missed shot to close the gap to 43-36 with 43 seconds remaining in the game.
A turnover by the Vikings resulted in a basket by Charlize Cash, and Concordia trailed 43-38.
Peters hit one of two free throws to give Smoky Valley a 44-38 cushion with 17 seconds to play.
Cash scored eight seconds later to pull the Panthers within four points, 44-40.
Two free throws by Peters with seven seconds left extended Smoky Valley’s lead to 46-40.
Cash led the way for Concordia with 18 points. She also had eight rebounds.
McDaniel scored seven points.
As it had in each of its previous two games, the Panthers got off to a fast start.
Cash connected on two threes and scored eight points to help Concordia take a 10-4 lead.
“That is kind of how these girls are. They are competitors. They know if we want to be successful we have to set an early tone,” Kuhlman said.
Smoky Valley, trailing 12-6, scored the final six points of the first quarter to pull even at 12-12.
Concordia limited the Vikings to one field goal and four points in the second period.
The Panthers, hampered by turnovers, scored just six points in the quarter, and led 20-16 at the break.
Smoky Valley got off to a quick start in the second half and held on down the stretch for the win.
Concordia opens North Central Kansas League play by hosting Marysville on Tuesday night.

SMOKY VALLEY (46)
Peters 1-3-2 5, Spitler 1-0-0 2, Malm 1-0-4 2, McElroy 2-0-1 4, Scott 3-0-2 6, Hazelwood 8-4-5 20, Blanchat 3-1-2 7. Totals: 21-8-16 46.
CONCORDIA (40)
Bethune 1-0-2 3, Jessup 0-0-2 0, Carlgren 1-2-5 4, Cash 8-0-0 18, McDaniel 3-1-3 7, Williams 1-0-1 2, Roush 3-0-2 6. Totals: 17-3-15 40.