PHS girls move to 3-0 in conference

Host southwest opponents this weekend

Posted 1/31/23

The Powell Panther girls’ basketball team returned home to welcome two rivals to town — defeating Lovell 45-39 on Thursday before losing to Cody on Friday 65-28.

   

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PHS girls move to 3-0 in conference

Host southwest opponents this weekend

Posted

The Powell Panther girls’ basketball team returned home to welcome two rivals to town — defeating Lovell 45-39 on Thursday before losing to Cody on Friday 65-28.

   

POWELL 45, LOVELL 39

Looking for revenge in their first matchup, the Panthers (7-6 overall, 3-0 3A Northwest) welcomed the Bulldogs (9-5 overall, 1-1 3A Northwest) with the hopes of avenging a 44-24 loss two weeks prior in Thermopolis.

Saige Kidd got things started right away for the Panthers, who used a strong press to force early turnovers and hold a 10-2 lead five minutes into the game.

“We wanted to be ourselves and be better than last time,” coach Chelsea Buher said. “I felt like we were pretty laid back on the defensive end the first time we played and I felt like we came out with a lot more intensity and aggression this go around.”

Lovell worked its way back into the game late in the first quarter and early in the second, but Powell was able to hold off any charges and maintained a 20-14 lead going into the half.

Starting the second half the Bulldogs came out firing, immediately cutting the lead down to two and forcing a timeout by Buher.

Lovell took its first lead of the game 21-20 with 4:45 left in the quarter, but Powell answered back on a pair of Coy Erickson free throws.

The Bulldogs answered back, scoring six straight to take a five point lead.

Powell closed out the third quarter on an 8-0 run, taking the lead on a Waycee Harvey layup with under a minute left and taking a 32-29 lead into the fourth.

The Panthers discovered a formula on offense at the end of the third heading into the fourth, spreading out and taking advantage of speed matchups at the guard position to help find easy baskets at the hoop.

“I knew that my matchups were faster at pretty much every position. I thought that we would give that a shot,” Buher said. “We had our guards beat their guards off the dribble and then make the read to take it themselves or dish it off to our bigs. It worked out well, I was proud of our girls for not going down the rabbit hole of ‘oh no they took the lead we’ve led all game’ and let that snowball effect happen.”

Addy Thorington dominated inside for the Panthers, helping Powell finish easy layups off penetration in the second half to open up a nine point lead after the 14-0 run. 

She finished with 18 points and nine rebounds in the contest. 

Maddie Campbell’s pass off a defender’s back on an inbound helped push it out to double digits late in the fourth quarter, and the Panthers held off any late charge to take home the 45-39 victory and move to 3-0 in the 3A Northwest.

The victory gave the Panthers their seventh of the season, tying the win total for last season.

Harvey added 11 as the other Panther in double figures.

Lovell had its second contest of the weekend on Saturday against Thermopolis postponed due to inclement weather.

   

CODY 65, POWELL 28

After the victory on Thursday the Panthers’ attention turned Friday to the last undefeated girls team in the state: 4A No. 1-ranked Cody (11-0 overall, 3-0 4A Northwest).

The Panthers came out stronger than their game in Cody earlier in the month, breaking Cody’s press and keeping the game close midway through the first trailing 6-5.

“I thought we did a better job of handling their press,” Buher said. “If we can get to the point where we can play that level of basketball with that stamina for four quarters we are going to be a tough team to beat.”

Despite keeping it close early, Cody took control early in the second quarter and pushed it to double digits.

Powell continued to play strong against the press but Cody threw a halfcourt trap at the Panthers that forced turnovers in the first half.

“You just can’t give them momentum,” Buher said. “They are already a tough team and if you give them momentum from your own mistakes that’s one of those snowballs you are pushing uphill.”

The Panthers surpassed their point total for the previous game, but trailed 44-18 heading into the half.

The Fillies continued to control the tempo throughout the second half, sending the Panthers to a 65-28 loss.

   

SOUTHWEST OPPONENTS

Powell stays at home this week, welcoming in two opponents the Panthers faced the first weekend of the season in Lander and Pinedale.

On Friday the Panthers will take on the Tigers (4-9 overall, 0-3 3A Southwest) at 4:30 p.m. looking to complete the regular season sweep after defeating Lander in the first game of the season 46-27.

After the game on Friday, the Panthers will turn around and welcome the No. 5-ranked Wranglers (13-2 overall, 2-1 3A Southwest) at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

“We are going to continue to work on ourselves and things that we need to get better at,” Buher said. “We will work on breaking those presses and then, once you beat them, finding the right pass in the halfcourt.”

   

POWELL 45, LOVELL 39

Total rebounds then offensive rebounds in ()

PointsAddy Thorington 18, Waycee Harvey 11, Coy Erickson 6, Maddie Campbell 4, Catelynn Floy 4, Saige Kidd 2

ReboundsAddy Thorington 9 (2), Megan Jacobsen 7 (4), Catelynn Floy 5 (4), Waycee Harvey 4 (1), Maddie Campbell 2, Coy Erickson 1, Kami Jensen 1 (1)

Assists Waycee Harvey 3, Maddie Campbell 3, Saige Kidd 2, Catelynn Floy 2, Coy Erickson 1, Addy Thorington 1, Kami Jensen 1, Megan Jacobsen 1

StealsCatelynn Floy 4, Coy Erickson 2, Waycee Harvey 1, Addy Thorington 1, Maddie Campbell 1, Saige Kidd 1, Kami Jensen 1

Blocks Addy Thorington 3, Maddie Campbell 2

  

CODY 65, POWELL 28

Points Catelynn Floy 9, Saige Kidd 6, Coy Erickson 3, Addy Thorington 3, Lauryn Bennett 3, Waycee Harvey 2, Maddie Campbell 2

ReboundsAddy Thorington 9 (3), Waycee Harvey 4 (3), Saige Kidd 4 (1), Catelynn Floy 3 (2), Alexa Richardson 2 (1), Megan Jacobsen 2 (1), Maddie Campbell 1, Kami Jensen 1 (1), Lauryn Bennett 1 (1)

Assists Kami Jensen 3, Alexa Richardson 2, Waycee Harvey 1, Coy Erickson 1, Catelynn Floy 1, Megan Jacobsen 1

StealsMegan Jacobsen 2, Alexa Richardson 1, Addy Thorington 1, Saige Kidd 1

BlocksAddy Thorington 3, Waycee Harvey 2, Saige Kidd 1

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