Surviving the substate portion for the first time in over a decade, the Concordia High School girls’ basketball team advanced to the state tournament with a pair of wins over Augusta and Towanda-Circle.
Versus Augusta, the Panthers won 44-30.
The Panthers came out strong, opening with an 8-0 run before a three got the Orioles on the board with 4:13 to go in the first quarter. A Jaylin Roush layup, a Graceyn Weaver layup, and a pair of Charlize Cash free throws put the Panthers in full control, 14-3, to end the first quarter.
Offense balanced out in the second quarter, with both teams scoring five points halfway through the second quarter. Both squads would go back and forth, with Concordia unable to pull away but keeping Augusta at bay, with a late Oriole putback making it a 24-16 game at halftime.
In the inverse of the second quarter, both offenses would slow down to start the third quarter. Concordia would string together some successful runs, while holding Augusta to only three points in the quarter, as the Panthers pushed their lead to 14 points to lead 33-19 entering the fourth quarter.
Augusta tried their best to fight their way back into the game throughout the final quarter, but the Panthers would do just enough to keep the Orioles at bay, never letting it get below a 10-point game, as Concordia punched their ticket to the state tournament for the first time since 2015.
Roush led in scoring, with 13 points and three rebounds.
Cash had 12 points, 14 rebounds, three steals and two assists.
VanMeter had 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Versus Circle, the Panthers won 51-34.
Offense was hard to come by early in the game, with only seven points scored halfway through the opening quarter, leaving the Panthers leading 5-2 halfway through the quarter. Concordia’s offense came alive, going on a 10-2 run to take a 15-4 lead after one quarter over the Thunderbirds.
Offense was still hard to come by in the second quarter, as Concordia would inch away as the quarter progressed, leading 21-7. Circle found some offense down the stretch with a 9-0 run, to make it a 21-16 game at halftime.
Both teams started to find their groove in the third quarter, with Circle keeping the game within striking distance, but Concordia kicked into gear. After leading 27-20, the Panthers closed on a 9-2 spurt to lead 36-22 entering the fourth quarter.
After Circle scored four points to open the fourth quarter, Concordia went on a 14-0 run to lead 50-26. The T-Birds would score eight more points, with the Panthers making a free throw from Stella Trost to end the game 51-34.
Jaylin Roush led in scoring with 17 points, six rebounds and a block.
Marlee VanMeter had 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Morgan Lister had nine points, one rebound and an assist.
