Lady Panthers win OT thriller

Down Thermop 51-47 on the road

Posted 2/12/19

Down 45-44 to Thermopolis in overtime, the Powell High School girls’ basketball team needed a spark, especially considering its leading scorer, senior Aubrie Stenerson, had just fouled out of …

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Lady Panthers win OT thriller

Down Thermop 51-47 on the road

Posted

Down 45-44 to Thermopolis in overtime, the Powell High School girls’ basketball team needed a spark, especially considering its leading scorer, senior Aubrie Stenerson, had just fouled out of the game.

Stenerson, who finished the game with 18 points, had just hit a free throw to bring the Lady Panthers (11-5, 2-1) within a point. Now she was watching from the sidelines, as her teammates attempted to regroup against the Lady Bobcats (5-12, 0-3).

With Stenerson out and second-leading scorer Rachel Bonander unavailable, Scott McKenzie, head coach of the Powell High School girls’ basketball team, looked to the rest of his roster. Players like Ashtyn Heny, Brea Terry and Jasmyne Lensegrav didn’t disappoint, coming up with big plays in key moments to earn the 51-47 win in OT.

“We got down in overtime, but found a way to win,” said coach McKenzie. “We had a lot of girls step up.”

Coach McKenzie added that “it can’t all be Aubrie [Stenerson]; it has to be everyone else.”

“Our bench is doing what it needs to do to help us win,” he said.

Thermopolis and Powell battled to a 19-19 stalemate after one half, with Stenerson netting 10 of PHS’ points. Powell took advantage of its trips to the foul line, hitting on seven of nine from the stripe.

Starting the second half, Katie McKenzie hit a pair of free throws, then sister Karlie McKenzie nailed a 3-pointer to make it 24-19. Katie McKenzie hit a 3-pointer of her own moments later to keep the lead at 27-22.

Stenerson hit 3-of-4 free throws in the third quarter as the Lady Panthers took a 30-22 lead.

“We just wanted to make sure we continued to attack the basket, not fall asleep defensively,” coach McKenzie said.

Thermopolis cut the lead to three before Ashtyn Heny hit her second 3-pointer of the game to give Powell a 33-27 lead heading into the final frame.

The fourth quarter was a wild one, with the two teams trading buckets until the end of regulation. Midway through the fourth, Thermopolis tied the game at 36. Powell’s Jasmyne Lensegrav answered with her first basket of the game, a pair of free throws from Stenerson gave Powell a 40-36 lead. But at the two-minute mark, Thermopolis’ McKenna Bomengen sank a 3-pointer and she later hit two free throws to put the Bobcats up 42-41 with 44 seconds to play. However, with 22 seconds left, Stenerson drew a foul and hit two free throws to retake the lead for Powell, 43-42.

With five seconds left, Stenerson was called for a loose-ball foul, sending Bomengen back at the line. Bomengen converted the first to tie, but missed the second; Thermopolis’ Sesi Jensen grabbed the rebound, but Powell’s Devon Curtis fouled her. Needing just one to all but win the game, Jensen missed both tries, giving Powell new life in overtime.

“We fouled the right girl in the fourth quarter,” coach McKenzie said.

Thermopolis took the early lead in the bonus period, hitting a basket to make it 45-43. Stenerson hit a free throw to cut Thermopolis’ lead to one 45-44, then fouled out on the Lady Bobcats’ next possession. Bomengen hit both free throws to push Thermopolis’ lead to 47-44.

And that’s when Powell’s bench took over. Lady Panther Brea Terry was fouled grabbing an offensive board and sank one of two free throws to cut the lead to two. A turnover gave the Lady Panthers the ball back, and after driving the baseline, Terry kicked the ball back out to the perimeter. Heny ended up with the ball and drilled what would be the game winner, a clutch 3-pointer to put Powell up 48-47.

“Brea [Terry] kept the ball alive on three straight shots with offensive rebounds,” coach McKenzie said. “Then she kicks it to Jasmyne [Lensegrav], who gets it to Ashtyn [Heny] for that three. Lots of great things going on there.”

Lensegrav came up with a loose ball on Thermopolis’ next possession with under 30 seconds to play. A foul in the backcourt put Katie McKenzie at the line shooting two; she converted one, bumping the lead to 49-47. Heny was fouled after grabbing a rebound on Thermopolis’ next possession, and sank both free throws to give Powell the 51-47 win.

“We didn’t have Rachel [Bonander] and then Aubrie [Stenerson] fouled out, so it was just so exciting to see those other girls find a way to win,” said a proud coach McKenzie.

Powell went to the foul line an astounding 36 times, hitting 23 of them to finish at 63 percent. The Lady Panthers also made more 3-pointers (six) then 2-pointers (five) for the game.

“Whatever it takes to win,” coach McKenzie said.

Powell had three players in double figures, led by Stenerson with 18 points; the senior was 12-of-15 from the charity stripe and finished with six rebounds. Heny followed with 13 points, including three 3-pointers, to go along with three assists and three steals. Katie McKenzie knocked down 12 points with a team-best eight rebounds.

Karlie McKenzie finished with four points, to go along with four assists and three steals, while Lensegrav chipped in two points. Terry and Curtis finished with a point apiece, with Terry grabbing five boards — including three “gigantic” offense rebounds, the coach said.

“I can’t say enough about that, and how hard she worked there to make things happen for us,” coach McKenzie said.

Bomengen led all scorers with 20 points, 11 coming in the fourth quarter and overtime.

The Lady Panthers are at home tonight (Tuesday) at 5:30 p.m. against Worland (3-13, 1-2), and will travel to Lander (7-10, 3-0) Friday at 6 p.m.

“The Worland game is a win that we must have to continue to control our destiny for tournament,” coach McKenzie said. “We’ll get Rachel [Bonander] back, and we’re excited to be at full strength again.”  

Powell High School, Panther Basketball

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