Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Hosting number eight-ranked Rock Creek in the final regular season game, the Concordia High School girls basketball team battled the Mustangs before a fourth quarter pull-away resulted in a 41-32 loss.
Both teams would fight in a back and forth dual to start the first quarter. The Mustangs would take a six-point lead late in the quarter, before the Panthers would knock the lead down to two, and the Panthers closed the quarter down 18-14.
After a slow start to open the second quarter, the Panthers would knock the lead down to one, 20-19, before tying the game at 20-all. A pair of Jaylin Roush free throws would give the Panthers the 22-20 lead. A free throw on the opposite end sent the teams to the locker room with the Panthers leading 22-21. The Panthers held the Mustangs to only three points for the quarter.
Rock Creek would get back on track in the second half, scoring on three of its first five possessions and taking a 29-24 lead early in the quarter. The game would tighten up for the second half of the quarter, remaining a two-possession game in favor of Rock Creek. The Mustangs would enter the fourth quarter with a 35-30 lead.
The fourth quarter would be a defensive battle with only eight points being scored, with the Panthers only scoring two points. Concordia’s offense tried its best, but failure to convert open looks doomed the Panthers as they suffered the 41-32 loss.
Roush had 16 points, 13 rebounds, four steals, and a block.
Charlize Cash had nine points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block.
In a senior night matchup against the number seven-ranked Clay Center Tigers, the Concordia High School girls basketball team fell in a heartbreaking 54-52 loss. The Panthers led by as much as 15 points.
Concordia senior Taylor McDaniel had the honor of scoring the first points of the game in her first court appearance of the 2024-25 season. McDaniel suffered an injury early in the 2024 volleyball season that kept her sidelined all season. Senior Asia Garcia got her first start of her career and won the opening tip.
Playing their best ball to open the game, the Panther defense wouldn’t let the Tigers settle in, while the offense was able to get good-looking shots. After finding themselves down 9-4, the Panthers went on a 14-1 run over the next four minutes to close the quarter with an 18-10 lead.
After almost two minutes of scoreless basketball, the Panthers finally continued their offensive momentum with an 11-4 run and were able to build their lead up to 15 points with 1:32 remaining in the half. The Tigers would go on a small run of their own to knock the lead down to 11. The Panthers entered halftime with a 31-20 lead.
Stella Trost had a season-high 10 points, all in the first half, giving the Panthers a huge offensive boost.
Clay Center would start to look like its regular self, limiting the Panthers to only six points in the third quarter, and outscoring the Panthers 12-6. With one quarter to go, the Panthers held a tight 37-32 lead.
A dual commenced to start the fourth quarter, but things would not be kind to the Panthers going forward. Holding a nine-point lead halfway through the fourth quarter, the Panthers gave up a 13-2 run as the Tigers took the lead with 1:24 remaining, 51-50.
The Tigers would get a steal with 30 seconds remaining and the Panthers would be forced to foul. Clay Center would make both free throws, and the Panthers couldn’t convert on the opposite end. The Tigers made a free throw on the following possession to take a four-point lead, and the Panthers made a layup, then ran out of time, falling 54-52.
Charlize Cash had 17 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and seven steals.
Rylie Jessup had 10 points, two rebounds, and five assists.
Trost had 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists.
