In a rematch of last year’s substate championship, but at home this time, the Concordia High School boys basketball team was matched up with defending back-to-back state champs in McPherson after defeating Abilene earlier in the week, but fell to the Bullpups in overtime.
Versus McPherson, the Panthers lost 73-66 in overtime.
Both squads were locked together early, with the Panthers holding a 9-6 lead halfway through the first quarter. After Concordia led 11-8, McPherson tied the game at 13, then went on an 8-0 run to take a 21-13 lead to end the first quarter.
Five straight points for the Panthers made it a one-possession game early in the second quarter. Concordia tied the game at 23 on an Ian Loudermilk layup with 2:54 to go in the half, as both teams fought for control of the lead down the stretch. A late McPherson layup gave the Bullpups a 32-31 lead entering the locker rooms.
The game remained tight to open the third quarter, but McPherson slowly kept increasing their lead to seven, 43-36. Nine straight points for the Panthers, including an Ayden Krier three, gave the Panthers the lead back, 45-43. A 5-0 Bullpup burst gave them a 48-45 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Both teams would go back and forth in the fourth quarter, as a fight for the lead would determine a trip to the state tournament. A Krier three with 2:22 left gave the Panthers a four-point lead, with a Loudermilk free throw pushing the lead to five. Another Loudermilk free throw made it a 64-60 game with 94 seconds to go, but four McPherson layups tied the game, and a missed Bullpup fastbreak layup sent the game into overtime.
McPherson was able to put the game away in the overtime period, outscoring the Panthers 9-2, with the lone points coming on a Chane Parker layup to make it a 69-66 ballgame, with McPherson ending the Panthers’ season at the free throw line to hand them a 73-66 heartbreaking defeat.
Krier and Loudermilk both scored 17 points, with Krier having four rebounds and two assists, and Loudermilk had eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Parker and Isaias Irigoyen both had 10 points, with Parker having 10 rebounds and two assists with a steal, and Irigoyen had eight rebounds and an assist.
Boone Richard and Grayson Farha each had six points.
Versus Abilene, the Panthers won 65-53.
Offense was limited to open the game, but the Panthers found their groove quickly to take an early 10-3 lead over Abilene. A 9-2 run, capped by a Brandon Vignery alley-oop layup, would give the Panthers a 19-5 lead to end the first quarter.
The Cowboy offense picked up to start the second quarter, but the Panthers were doing a good job at keeping pace with the NCKL foe. Both squads would go back and forth; four Cowboy points to end the quarter gave the Panthers a 29-18 lead entering halftime.
Offense picked right back up to start the third quarter, with Concordia scoring eight points in just over the first two minutes of the third, while the Cowboys scored four to make it 37-22. An Ayden Krier three pushed the Panther lead to 20, 42-22, but Abilene cut the lead down to 15 to end the third quarter, with it being a 50-35 ballgame.
The Cowboys managed to get the lead down to eight halfway through the fourth quarter, 52-44, but an 8-2 Panther spurt just about put the game away with a minute to go. Abilene tried their best to claw back, but a few Panther free throws iced the game and put the Cowboys away for the third straight time by the Panthers, 65-53.
Ayden Krier led in scoring with 22 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Chane Parker had 14 points, nine rebounds, three blocks, two steals and an assist.
Isaias Irigoyen had 13 points, 11 rebounds and a steal.
