ST. GEORGE — In a pivotal NCKL matchup, the Concordia High School boys basketball team matched up with number three-ranked Rock Creek, where the Mustangs delivered the Panthers a harsh 62-29 loss.
Rock Creek struck first and struck hard, forcing many Panther mistakes as the Mustangs jumped out to an 8-0 lead. The Panthers would slowly start to gain their footing, but a mixture of poor shooting, turnovers, and fouls would derail any Concordia momentum and the Panthers would find themselves down 20-4 after one quarter.
In the second quarter things would start to level out. Opening up with a Karson Lister three-ball and an Ian Loudermilk layup, the Panthers would go on a 7-0 run and knock the lead down to single digits. Rock Creek would regain their flow and go on a run of their own to enter halftime with a 30-14 lead.
Rock Creek continued to show their talents in the second half, opening with 11 straight points and forcing many Panther mistakes. Concordia would finally get on the board in the second half with an Isaias Irigoyen free throw. The Panthers wouldn’t find much offensive success, having to settle for free throws as a physical Mustang defense limited the Panthers to only four points in the quarter. Panthers trailed 53-18 entering the fourth.
The Panthers would outscore the Mustangs in the fourth quarter 11-9, as the Mustangs just tried to run the clock out. As the buzzer sounded, the Panthers were handed only their second conference loss of the season.
