For the first time since the opening weekend of the season the Panther boys’ basketball team has a winning record. The Powell High School squad embarked on a long road trip, defeating Kemmerer 43-36 on Friday and Pinedale 48-42 on Saturday.

POWELL 43, KEMMERER 36

The trip to the southwest corner of the state started in Kemmerer, as the Panthers (8-7 overall, 1-2 3A Northwest) took on the Rangers (9-7 overall, 1-2 3A Southwest).

Coming out of the gates, the Panthers trailed 7-2, struggling to find the basket after the first five minutes of play. But Powell worked its way back into the contest — with five different scorers contributing — to trail 13-9 after the first quarter.

“Kemmerer’s size and length pose a real problem for a lot of teams and we were not able to make plays consistently in the paint,” Panther head coach Mike Heny said.

Both teams continued to struggle from the field in the second quarter, with Kemmerer up 23-18 in the closing minutes. Both teams attempted to hold the ball for the final shot of the half, but a pair of Kemmerer turnovers led to a layup by sophomore Brock Johnson to make it 23-21 Rangers at the break.

In the third quarter, the Panthers took their first lead of the game off a Johnson 3-pointer, going up 24-23. That advantage did not last for long, as Kemmerer answered with a 6-0 run. The Rangers held Powell scoreless for five minutes until a 3-pointer from sophomore Gunnar Erickson cut it to 29-27.

The Rangers led 33-30 going into the fourth — until sophomore Jhett Schwahn knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game with six minutes left.

“Our defense kept us close the entire night and then Jhett [Schwahn] hit the big three from the corner to tie it and that really got us over the hump,” Heny said.

The Panthers finally took the lead for good off a Erickson jumper with 3:45 left in the game at 37-35.

Both teams continued to struggle on the offense, as, outside of an Erickson layup, the only points scored in the final minutes came at the free throw line.

“Holding them [Kemmerer] to three points in the fourth quarter, all free throws, was also a huge factor in how we were able to get the win,” Heny said.

POWELL 48, PINEDALE 42

Going into Saturday’s game against Pinedale, the Panthers looked to continue their recent form as they took on the winless Wranglers (0-18 overall, 0-3 3A Southwest).

Starting out the opposite of Friday’s game, the Panthers found their shooting stroke early and took a 19-11 lead after the first quarter.

“We shot the ball extremely well in the first quarter,” Heny said. “We were attacking the rim and hitting outside shots, especially Gunnar [Erickson] who had 12 of his 14 points in the period.”

Pinedale came out strong in the second quarter, however, as Powell started to miss shots and turn the ball over. The Wranglers used a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it 27-24 Panthers at halftime.

The Wranglers continued their momentum — scoring the first four points out of the break to lead 28-27 — but Powell regained a 36-30 advantage heading into the final quarter.

The Panthers were able to hold off the Wranglers down the stretch, making free throws over the final couple of minutes to finish off Pinedale on the road 48-42.

“Pinedale is a young team and they are still improving and playing hard every night,” Heny said. “Pinedale gave us their best effort and I am proud of the kids for staying patient and making the right plays down the stretch and come away with the win.”

HOME AT LAST

The Panthers will return home for the first time in three weeks after playing five consecutive games on the road.

A rematch from an early season game between the Panthers and No. 4-ranked Buffalo (12-3 overall, 2-1 3A Northeast) will provide a clear picture of the growth from the Panthers, as they took an opening weekend loss on the road to the Bison 62-55. That game is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday.

PHS will then have a short turnaround, hosting No. 2-ranked Worland (15-1 overall, 3-0 3A Northwest) on Saturday at 4 p.m.

The Panthers have already suffered two lopsided losses to the defending state champions, and will see how they stack up against one of the title contenders as they continue their push through the conference season.

POWELL 43, KEMMERER 36

Points — Brock Johnson 12, Gunnar Erickson 12, Zach Ratcliff 7, Toran Graham 5, Trey Stenerson 4, Jhett Schwahn 3

Rebounds — Johnson 7, Ratcliff 5, Stenerson 3, Erickson 3, Keaton Rowton 2, Jay Washington 2, Graham 2

Assists — Johnson 3, Ratcliff 2, Erickson 2, Graham 1

Steals — Stenerson 2, Johnson 1, Schwahn 1, Ratcliff 1, Washington 1, Erickson 1, Graham 1

POWELL 48, PINEDALE 42

Points — Johnson 15, Erickson 14, Graham 4, Rowton 2, Schwahn 2

Rebounds — Erickson 7, Graham 5, Schwahn 4, Johnson 2, Ratcliff 2, Stenerson 2, Rowton 1

Assists — Johnson 2, Erickson 2, Rowton 1, Stenerson 1

Steals — Erickson 5, Ratcliff 3, Rowton 1, Johnson 1, Schwahn 1, Stenerson 1