ABILENE — Picking up a pair of solid wins over NCKL foes to gain momentum for the Colby Orange and Black tournament, the number six-ranked Concordia boys basketball team defeated Abilene on the road and Wamego at home.
Versus Abilene, the Panthers won 74-52.
Boone Richard led in scoring with 23 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Ayden Krier had 17 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Isaias Irigoyen had 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Versus Wamego, the Panthers won 68-49.
The Panthers had a slow start to the game, trailing 4-3 halfway through the first quarter before a Chane Parker layup gave the Panthers the lead, which they’d never give up. Parker’s layup would be the start of an 8-3 spurt to close the first quarter with a 13-6 lead.
Things ramped up in the second quarter for the Panthers, opening with a 12-2 run that saw the Panthers’ lead expand to 19 in a hurry. The Panthers were able to push the lead to 20 on a Boone Richard layup, but Wamego wasn’t making it easy defensively. A Grayson Farha three with under a minute to go gave the Panthers a 21-point lead, before Wamego hit a three of their own, before Kale Schroeder hit a three at the buzzer to give Concordia a 39-18 game at halftime.
The second half would be an even match for both teams, with the Panthers holding a 45-30 lead halfway through the third quarter as Wamego started to put together consistent offense. The second half of the third quarter was a pure defensive battle, with 28 combined points in the first four minutes; the second half saw only six points scored as the Panthers led 49-32 entering the fourth.
Both offenses were in their groove in the fourth quarter, exchanging baskets for the entire quarter, with the Panthers keeping the Red Raiders out of comeback range as the Panthers earned the 68-49 win.
Isaias Irigoyen led in scoring with 16 points, five rebounds and two steals.
Chane Parker had 12 points, eight rebounds, one steal and one block.
Boone Richard had nine points, four rebounds, three assists and five steals.
