Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Opening up league competition on the wrong foot, the Concordia High School Panthers girls’ basketball team fell to Marysville 41-34.
In what has been a reoccurring issue for the Lady Panthers this season, they would start the game off slow, falling 6-2 as Marysville attacked the Panthers’ interior defense. The Bulldog defense hounded the Panthers, forcing turnovers and using the opportunity to set up their offense, and after back-to-back threes by the Bulldogs, the Panthers were behind 12-4 with two minutes remaining in the first. A Charlize Cash putback would end the first quarter, with Marysville leading 12-6.
The Bulldogs took control of the second quarter. After a Kinsleigh Bethune three-pointer started the quarter, the Bulldogs would go on a seven to one run, taking a nine-point lead, 19-10. The Panthers would fight back, and with a Rylie Jessup three and a Bethune midrange shot, would take the lead down to five. A late Bulldog run would send both teams to the locker room with Marysville leading 24-15.
Starting the second half with a nine to zero run, it wouldn’t be until 4:44 before the Panthers let up a basket. The Bulldogs would respond and close the second half of the quarter only allowing one basket and going on a nine to two run to close the quarter with a 33-22 lead.
As the Panthers tried to fight back and close the gap, even getting the lead down to four points, the Bulldogs held the Panthers’ offense to zero points in the final three minutes, with the Panthers dropping the game 41-34, and falling to 1-4 entering the semester break.
“Friday night’s loss to Marysville was definitely the hardest one to swallow,” said head coach Trey Kuhlman. “Being a league game, we knew, regardless of our 1-3 record going into the game, our focus was coming out strong in our first league game. Another slow start didn’t help, but our girls kept battling and cut the deficit to 3 points before Marysville pulled away late. Our plan over break is to get mentally tougher and try to be one of the most physical teams in the league. We know that we have to push each other even harder than what we did in this first month of the season for us to be successful.”
Cash led with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block.
Bethune had eight points, one steal, and one block.
Hosting the number one-ranked team in 1A Division II, the Concordia Panther girls fell to the Hanover Wildcats 53-39.
With Concordia taking a quick 3-2 lead, thanks to a Jessup three-pointer, Hanover would respond with its own three to snatch the lead, which it would not give up. The Wildcat defense would be in attack mode from the opening tip, starting in a full court press which would hinder the Panthers’ flow and offense. Hanover would score 10 straight unanswered points before Jaylin Roush made a layup with 19 seconds remaining. The quarter ended with the Wildcats leading 12-5.
The Hanover defense would continue putting the pressure on the Panthers, forcing four turnovers and keeping the Panthers off the scoreboard until Roush converted a contested layup with 3:12 remaining, but the damage was setting in with the Wildcats leading, 21-7. Transition offense and second-chance points boosted the Wildcats’ lead up to 21 points as both teams went into halftime with the Panthers behind, 30-9.
The Panthers would start to come alive in the third quarter. The offense would score nine unanswered points after the defense gave up a basket to start the half. Hanover wouldn’t score another point until a score off a putback with 3:17 left in the third quarter brought the score to 34-18. After more offense from both teams, the score would be 42-25 Hanover entering the fourth quarter.
Opening the fourth quarter with a nine to one run, the Panthers would get the lead down to nine points, 43-32. Hanover would finally respond with 3:10 left in the game with a free throw and a three-pointer to push the lead back to 13 points. The Wildcats would keep the Panthers at bay, holding out to win 53-39.
Roush finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, a block and a steal.
Cash had 11 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and a steal.
The Panthers will be on break and will play their next game January 7, when they will host Rock Creek.
