Panthers slam Seeley Swan

It was a week of one loss and one win for the Alberton boys. The Panthers beat Seeley at home on Friday night and lost to Hot Springs on Saturday.

Jake Thompson and Josh Webb dominated the court on Friday night. Thompson had a game high of 35 points and made all eight of his shots from the foul line. Webb added 14 points as well.

“They dominated on the inside and used their height as an advantage,” said Coach Chris Clevenger. “We grabbed a slight lead in the first quarter, 12-6, led 32-19 at halftime and cruised from there.”

Alberton beat Seeley 57-42.

At Hot Springs on Saturday, the boys’ performance in the fourth quarter cost them the game. It was neck and neck through the first three quarters of the game. Alberton came out with an early lead on Hot Springs in the first, 16-10, and were only down by five at halftime. Things got close again in the third and the teams were tied 33-33 going into the fourth. But Alberton didn’t manage to score in the fourth.

“We missed open shots, had a lot of turnovers and their press shook us up,” Clevenger said. “It was not a way to close the game out.”

The week before last the Panthers had a huge week of basketball with two wins. Not only did they beat Philipsburg in an away game, 56-46, but they upset the league-standing Victor with a win, 57-46.

The team had lost to Victor earlier in the season when they played them in an away game, but two weeks ago, they had the edge they needed.

“It was a big win for us,” Clevenger said.

Clevenger said that the atmosphere in the gym during the game against Victor was amazing. The crowd was big and cheered loudly for the boys.

And although they came away with the win, it was a tight game all the way. The Panthers were only ahead at halftime by five points, 25-20.

“We had a small lead throughout the game and we never relinquished the lead during the game,” Clevenger said.

Thompson scored a whopping 26 points for the Panthers against Victor, Brandon Lehl recorded 15 points and Webb added 12 points for the team.

“The team really stepped up,” Clevenger said. “They are gaining some confidence and it wasn’t just one or two guys scoring, it’s everyone. When you can score, it helps.”

Clevenger also gave credit to Lehl and Todd Myrstol for how they handled Victor’s press.