Facing an uphill battle with a pair of matches with two top NCKL foes, the Concordia girls basketball team defeated Chapman but fell to Rock Creek.
Against the number nine-ranked Chapman, the Panthers won 45-43.
After Chapman scored the opening three points, the Panthers went on a 6-2 run and a fight for the lead was underway early in the game. After more back and forth, A Graceyn Weaver three at the buzzer gave the Panthers a 13-12 lead to end the first quarter.
The second quarter was a defensive battle. The Panthers took a five-point lead, 17-12, on a Jaylin Roush putback and would keep Chapman off the board until 4:17 left in the quarter. Both defenses would make things difficult for each other, with only five points scored in the second half of the second quarter, as Concordia led 19-17 at halftime.
Offense picked back up in the third quarter. After one free throw from each team, both teams would go back and forth, with Chapman matching the Panthers for most of the quarter before the Panthers took a seven-point lead 32-25, thanks to a pair of Charlize Cash free throws and a Marlee VanMeter floater. The Irish would make one more basket that would get negated by a Morgan Lister three, as the Panthers led 35-28 entering the fourth.
Concordia would be able to keep the Irish at arm’s length for most of the fourth quarter, holding a 41-34 lead halfway through the quarter. A Cash layup put the Panthers up nine, before the Irish made seven straight points to make it a 43-41 game with under a minute to play. Chapman tied the game at the free-throw line with 20 seconds left, before Cash made the go-ahead layup with 13 seconds left on the clock. With a chance to win the game, the Irish got a shot up with 2.8 seconds left but missed the shot, as the Panthers completed the upset 45-43.
Cash led in scoring with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Roush had 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
VanMeter and Weaver each had six points and combined for six steals and six rebounds.
Against Rock Creek, the Panthers fell 52-36.
In an early defensive battle, Concordia held a 7-2 lead halfway through the first quarter thanks to a Jaylin Roush deep two-pointer, a Marlee VanMeter three-pointer, and a Graceyn Weaver midrange jumper. Rock Creek tried to gain their footing and take the lead, but the Panthers were able to keep their offense limited, holding a 9-6 lead after the first quarter.
An opening three-pointer by VanMeter put the Panthers up 12-6. Through their work at the free throw line and defense, the Mustangs tried to claw their way back, but the Panthers were able to play tough right back, and a free throw by Avery Kueker put the Panthers up 16-13 at halftime.
Rock Creek opened the second half with a 9-1 run to lead 22-17 and were in control of the momentum. The Panthers were able to get the lead down to one, 23-22, on another Roush jumper, but a 13-2 run by the Mustangs to close the quarter put Concordia in a 36-24 hole entering the fourth quarter.
In a repeat of the first half, both teams went jab-for-jab in the fourth quarter, the Mustangs were able to keep the Panthers just out of reach from making a comeback, and handed the Panthers the 52-36 loss.
VanMeter led in scoring with 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and a block.
Charlize Cash had eight points, five rebounds and three assists.
Roush had six points, eight rebounds, one steal and a block.
