Lady Panthers win on the road, lose at home

RANGELY I The lady Panther basketball team took its show on the road last Friday and defeated the West Grand Mustangs in Kremmling but lost on their home court to Rio Blanco County rivals the Meeker Cowboys Saturday last.
“We started out real slow but had good second and third quarters,” head coach Jimmie Mergelman said of the 59-46 victory over the Mustangs. “Our JV got to play the fourth quarter, which was good for them.”
The lady Panthers led by two after the first quarter. Rangely outscored the Mustangs 21-7 in the second quarter behind Quincey Thacker’s 10 points, including a perfect six-for-six from the free throw line, to give her team a 33-17 lead at halftime.
Brittany Babineaux hit a three-pointer and scored eight of her 14 points in the third quarter, where the lady Panthers scored another 21 points to take a commanding 54-31 lead into the final period of play before the long bus trip home.
“We got home at 2:30 this morning,” Mergelman said after the game against Meeker. “I think we were a half-step slower but it’s no excuse, we just got out-hustled.”
In the game against Meeker, the lady Panthers took a 11-10 led into the second period, where they held on to the one-point margin when both teams scored 17 points in the quarter before halftime.
“We played a good first half then went away from what was working for us, getting it into the post and it got away from us,” Mergelman said of the second half of play.
Meeker outscored Rangely in both quarters of the second half and won 54-42.
Thacker and Babineaux both scored 14 against the lady Cowboys, Haeley Enterline added six, Holli Lepro four and Hailee Russell and Aimee Hogan each made a basket.
Mergelman said her team will host the Paonia Eagles this Friday for a non-league game and travel to Hayden for a league contest against the lady Tigers.
“Paonia is fast and they’ll be good, and we haven’t seen Hayden since the Shootout,” Mergelman said.