Powell High School girls’ basketball has improved consistently over the course of the 2020-21 season, and Friday was the pinnacle of that improvement. 

Facing Lyman — which entered the game as the No. 2 team in 3A — the Panthers pulled off their biggest upset of the year, defeating the Eagles 66-58 on the road. 

The Powell girls shot 55% from the field in the win, with five players finishing in double figures. Despite a slow start, efficient offense pushed the Panthers past their highly-ranked opponents. 

“Big shots got us going,” head coach Chelsea Buher said. “We were seeing the floor well and getting a lot of transition.”

Senior Madi Fields led the team in scoring, notching 15 points, while Rose Graft and Megan Jacobsen logged 14 and 12, respectively. Freshman Addy Thorington led the way on the glass with 11 boards, while Maddie Campbell’s 10 assists were a team-high. 

“We got scoring from everybody, and we shot very well, and that allowed us to get our first real upset,” Buher said.

Though the win over Lyman (12-4) was the Panthers’ best offensive game of the season, they still struggled in one area: ball control. Powell turned the ball over 27 times in the upset, but high-percentage shooting allowed PHS to escape with a victory in spite of this high number. 

Buher said she thinks the team is capable of playing even better basketball if it gets the turnover number down. 

“Many people would probably say Lyman is our best, but I think we’re yet to play our best ballgame,” Buher said. 

The next game, a Saturday evening tilt with Mountain View (12-3 overall and No. 4 in 3A), PHS didn’t have the same offensive success, falling 37-26.

Powell shot 20% from the field, scoring just four points in the first half. Of the Panthers’ 26 points, 17 came from Graft. Only losing by 11, Buher said she thinks it would’ve been a different game, had PHS shot just a little better.

“Playing two teams in the top five in a row is hard enough, and add in not shooting well, that makes it difficult,” Buher said. “Our defense was pretty good, but we couldn’t make our shots.”

Even after the loss, the Panthers are .500 (3-3) in February and 5-11 overall on the season. With just two games remaining in the regular season, the coach is proud of her girls’ continued dedication and improvement in a rebuilding season.

“It shows how hard these girls have been working,” Buher said. “We’re on our way.”

Before the postseason, Powell will play a home game Friday against Lovell (8-7 overall, 1-3 in Class 3A Northwest), followed by a Saturday road trip to Lander Valley for a contest against the Tigers (12-3, 3-1). In their first meetings with Lovell and Lander, the Panthers kept both games close. 

Whether it’s this weekend or later on when regionals arrive, Buher thinks another upset could be on the horizon for her squad.

“I think if we play like I know we’re capable of playing, we’ll surprise someone,” Buher said. “There are ups and downs, but I feel like we’ve been competing, and that’s part of turning a program back around.”

Powell 66, Lyman 58

Points — Madi Fields 15, Rose Graft 14, Megan Jacobsen 12, Maddie Campbell 8, Addy Thorington 7, Hailee Hyde 6, Kami Jensen 4; Rebounds — Thorington 11, Graft 6, Campbell 5, Hyde 3, Jacobsen 3, Jensen 2, Rylynn Valdez 1; Assists — Campbell 10

Mountain View 37, Powell 26

Points — Graft 17, Thorington 4, Jacobsen 2, Jensen 2, Hyde 1; Rebounds — Graft 5, Thorington 5, Jacobsen 3, Jensen 3, Valdez 2, Fields 1, Hyde 1; Blocks — Thorington 4