Panthers end season during tournament play

ALBERTON – The Alberton Panthers faced two defeats and were eliminated from the District 13-C tournament after their games against the Drummond Trojans and Victor Pirates.

The Wednesday, Feb. 19, game against Drummond saw a final score of 29-67.

According to Head Coach Dan Moe, Drummond handled the Panthers easily. He said the team was plagued by things they have struggled with all year.

“We turned the ball over a lot against their pressure and gave up a lot of lay ups,” Moe said. “The game followed the same pattern our previous games against Drummond have.”

In the first quarter the Trojans took a giant lead while they laid on pressure against Alberton’s offense. The quarter ended with Alberton behind with a score of 3-39.

The second quarter had the Panthers recover and get more points. While they pushed through the Drummond guards they were also able to prevent the Trojans from getting to the basket as much. The second and third quarters had identical performances from both teams with each bringing in the same amount of points.

The Panther’s defense was strongest in the final quarter as they crushed Drummond’s offense. The Alberton boys were able to bring in the most points of the quarter as they played a significantly improved quarter.

While the team was able to hold their own in some areas, Moe said most of the good plays went to Drummond.

Seniors Keir Sanzano and Troy Munsch were the top scorers of the game bringing in eight and seven points respectively.

The Panthers also played in a consolation round against the Victor Pirates on Thursday, Feb. 20. The winner of the game would go on to the next level of the tournament.

“It becomes a survivor kind of deal,” Moe said. “If you hang around long enough, you get to move on. If you lose two in a row, you’re done.”

Before the game, Moe felt the team would do well against Victor if they could limit their turnovers. He also wanted the team to keep the Pirates from making strong offensive plays.

In the end, the game against Victor was also a loss and the Panthers were eliminated from the District Tournament. The game’s final score was 16-55.

The game began with a better performance from the Panthers as they brought in more points in the first quarter than in the game against Drummond. The Pirates were able to break the Alberton defenses and the quarter ended with a score of 5-16.

The second quarter had the Panthers slow down and allow the Victor players to take more points. The first half ended with a score of 9-39.

As the second half began the Alberton boys gained a second wind and pushed the Victor players back. The team was able to keep Victor from bringing in as many points at the expense of their own and the guys saw a score of 11-50.

Victor slowed down in the final quarter of the game. Both teams had a similar performance as they fought for final points.

Moe felt the Panthers played well but struggled against recurring difficulties. He said the team had trouble fighting off the Drummond and Victor offenses, which led to the opposition pulling ahead. He also felt the Alberton boys performed well throughout the games.

“The guys played hard and competed very well, especially early in the Victor game,” Moe said.