Lady Panthers fall to Seeley-Swan, Granite

ALBERTON – The Alberton Lady Panthers were eliminated from the district tournament after they took two defeats against Seeley-Swan and Granite.

On Thursday, Feb. 20, the girls played against Seeley-Swan. The game’s final score was 18-56.

The game started close and the first quarter ended with the teams only four points apart. The second quarter saw a quick turnaround as Seeley-Swan pulled ahead into a 12-point lead. The first half ended with the Lady Panthers behind with a score of 12-28.

As the second half opened, the girls were able to pull the opposition back and keep the other team from scoring big points. The final quarter quickly went out of control as the Lady Panthers fell behind, only making one basket while Seeley-Swan brought in many.

According to Head Coach Hannah Anderson, the girls played great against Seeley-Swan, despite the loss. With Seeley-Swan as the top team in the district, Anderson was proud of how well the team performed.

“The girls fought hard but Seeley came out ahead,” Anderson said.

Sophomore Deveyn Dutt was the top scorer for her team with 11 points. Senior Ryan Vicek was the second highest with six points. Vicek also led the team in rebounds as she made seven.

The girls played against Phillipsburg on Friday, Feb. 21. The winner of the consolation game went on to the next stage of the tournament. Alberton was not able to continue as the Lady Panthers were eliminated from the tournament after a final score of 23-59.

The teams were on equal footing in the first quarter. The Phillipsburg girls were quick to reach their stride in the second quarter as they gained a huge lead and more than doubled their points. The first half ended with a score of 11-21.

As the teams came out for the second half, the Phillipsburg girls brought a renewed strength with them. They pressed the attack and left Alberton in the dust as the Lady Panthers got one point from a free throw.

The final quarter was the best for Alberton as they pushed their game forward and pulled their opponents back. While it was not enough to fully recover, the Lady Panthers were able to play on the same level as Phillipsburg throughout the quarter.

Anderson felt this was a tough loss as the Lady Prospectors built to a 36-point lead. She praised Dutt for a great defense and felt the girls had another good game.

“The girls played very hard and gave it their all,” Anderson said.

Vicek and Dutt continued as the top scorers of the team. Vicek pulled in 10 points with Dutt close behind her with nine points. Dutt also brought in seven rebounds for the team.

With their defeat against Phillipsburg, the Lady Panther’s basketball season has ended. The team will have some time off until the spring sports season starts in March.