ABILENE — Splitting a pair of NCKL games before heading out to Colby for the annual Colby Orange and Black tournament, the Concordia girls’ basketball team defeated Abilene but fell to ranked Wamego.
Versus Abilene, the Panthers won 64-28.
Concordia came out of the gate on fire on both ends of the court, holding Abilene to only five points in the opening quarter, as the Panthers were able to take a commanding 22-5 lead after one quarter of play.
The Panther game plan really shone in the second quarter, not only holding the Cowgirls to zero points for the entire quarter, but scoring 19 more points on their way to a 41-5 halftime lead.
Abilene finally got its footing in the third quarter, but the Panther offense continued to hum along, outscoring the Cowgirls 17-12 for the quarter to a 58-17 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Letting some of the reserves get playing time and being able to play with the massive lead, Concordia coasted to their third NCKL victory on the year and got back to above a .500 winning percentage.
Charlize Cash led in scoring with 25 points, nine rebounds, four assists and five steals.
Morgan Lister had nine points, four rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
Marlee VanMeter had nine points, three rebounds and two assists.
Versus number three-ranked Wamego, the Panthers fell 48-43.
Wamego had a red-hot opening, scoring seven straight points before Charlize Cash got the Panthers on the board halfway through the first quarter. The Red Raiders took a 16-2 lead with under three minutes to go, but the Panthers were able to close the quarter with six straight points to make it a 16-8 game.
The Panthers took full control of the game in the second quarter, opening with a 14-3 run, and were able to take the lead. Wamego made a three-pointer to tie the game at 22, but a layup by Stella Trost would give the Panthers a 24-22 lead entering halftime.
Concordia didn’t slow down to start the third quarter, but Wamego was able to ramp up their offense as well. Halfway through the third quarter, the Panthers held a slim 28-26 lead. After more back and forth, in the final two minutes the Panthers were able to outscore the Red Raiders 11-3, and held a 43-36 lead over the number three Red Raiders entering the fourth quarter.
Things would crash down for the Panthers in the fourth quarter. The Panthers were held off the board completely for the entire quarter as Wamego was able to slowly chip away at the lead before taking the lead with 2:55 to go in the game. Wamego did their best to not allow any shot attempts down the stretch, and with some ill-timed turnovers for the Panthers, they fell in a 46-43 heartbreaker.
Cash had 12 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and five steals.
Graceyn Weaver had 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Jaylin Roush had seven points, nine rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.
Marlee VanMeter had seven points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal.
