Team secures state berth with two exciting home wins.
The lady Panthers added yet another accolade to their 2023/2024 season. The Panthers are the CHSAA State Tournament Region 2 Champions after securing two victories on their home court on Friday, March 1, and Saturday, March 2.
The first game as the number seed was against the Timberwolves from Twin Peaks Charter Academy (14-6, 6-0) from the 3A/2A Foothills League. The 2023/2024 season was the Timberwolves’ first season as a varsity team, and they were ecstatic to be in the opening round of the CHSAA 2A Girls State Basketball Tournament. This was the Panthers’ second year of being the host site for the regional round CHSAA State Basketball Tournament.
The lady Panthers climbed out to a 24-3 lead by the end of the first quarter. Miah Wren led the way with 10 points in the quarter. Wren knocked down one of her three three-point shots in the first quarter. Annika Cantrell and Ashlynn Ducey scored six points each for the Panthers, followed by Emmeree Wagner with two points.
Ryann Mergelman started the second quarter with fast-hit buckets and ended it similarly. Mergelamn scored all eight of her points in the second quarter but was removed from the game with a nose injury. Kastyn Dembowski scored all four of her points in the second quarter, along with Ducey downing two jumpers for four of her 10 points in the first half. Miley Chism nailed a three-point shot for her three points of the game when Wren drove the paint and kicked it out to Chism for the shot. Cantrell and Wagner added two more points to close the quarter, with the Panthers leading 48-11 at halftime.
During the third quarter, the Panthers had one goal in mind: to get a lead by 35 points to start the running clock in the fourth-quarter mercy rule. The Panthers have had the running clock in every playoff game they have competed in this season and wanted to continue the trend. Wren compiled 10 more points to bring her total to 21 points for the game to ensure the Panthers would get the running clock. Following Wren’s lead was Addison Scott with four points, Wagner with three points, and Aubrianna Tapia with two points.
Starting the fourth quarter with a running clock due to their lead of 67-19, the Panthers reserve players TyLee Fielder, Aubrey Kenney, Rachel Elder, Addison Scott, and Aubrianna Tapia closed the game out for the Lady Panthers. The Lady Panthers scored five points from TyLee Fielder with five points in the fourth quarter to end the game with 72 total points. The Timberwolves could net three points in the quarter, which brought the game’s final to 72-21. Leading the Lady Panthers in scoring was Miah Wren with 21 points, Ashlynn Ducey with 10, Annika Cantrell and Ryann Mergelman with eight, Emmeree Wagner with seven, TyLee Fielder with five points, Kastyn Dembowski and Addison Scott added four, Miley Chism with three and Aubrianna Tapia with two. With the win, the Lady Panthers would await the night’s second game-winner between the No. 15 seed Heritage Chrisitan Academy Eagles and the No. 18 seed Evangel Christian Academy Eagles.
In a thrilling overtime game, the Evangel Christian Academy Eagles defeated Heritage Christian Academy 50-49 to secure a Saturday morning date with the Lady Panthers. The victory for the ECA Eagles gave them their first Regional Championship berth in nine years for their program. The Panthers had one goal: return to the Great Eight round of the CHSAA State Tournament to avenge their state losses last year.
The Panthers came out to a stout Eagle defense that held the Panthers to only 13 total points in the first quarter. Ryann Mergelman led the Panthers in the first quarter, scoring with relentless action in the paint for five points. Annika Cantrell also added four of her eight points in the first quarter, followed by Ashlynn Ducey and Miah Wren with two points. The Panthers held the Eagles to six points from three Eagle scores who hit one three-point shot, one mid-range jumper, and one free-throw. The Rangely defense has proven itself to be one of the top in the state.
The second quarter saw the Panthers hold onto their lead as they scored 11 of their 24 first-half points. The 24 points was one of the lowest first-half outputs for the Lady Panthers. However, their stout defense and stifling full-court press proved too much for the Eagles, as they only netted seven points in the quarter. Miah Wren scored seven of her 13 total points to lead the Lady Panthers. Ashlynn Ducey and Annika Cantrell scored two points each to round out the rest of the second quarter scoring.
In the third quarter, the Panthers’ conditioning proved too much, as they outscored the Eagles 15-4, bringing the score to 39-17. Ashlynn Ducey and Miah Wren continued to lead the Panthers in scoring for the third quarter with four points each, followed by Emmeree Wagner with three and Miley Chism with two. The Panther defense proved too much for the Eagles as they forced nine turnovers in the third quarter alone. The defensive output was led by Wren, who had four steals, and Ducey, who had three.
As the fourth quarter came, the Panthers continued their fast pace of play and did not allow one single point to the Eagles. Ryann Mergelman scored seven of her 12 points in the fourth quarter with one three-pointer and her regular relentless play in the paint. Kastyn Dembowski scored three of her five points, while Annika Cantrell and Emmeree Wagner scored two each. Ashlynn Ducey added one more point to bring the Panthers total to 15 points in the quarter and a final score of 54 points.
With the 54-17 final, the Panthers secured their second straight trip to the CHSAA 2A Great Eight in Loveland on March 7, 8, and 9. The Lady Panthers have been matched up with Wiggins Tigers (No. 13 seed), who upset their way into the Great Eight with victories over No. 20 seed Las Animas by a score of 48-24 and the No. 4 Sanford Mustangs 37-32. This will be the first match-up between the two teams at the state level. Wiggins qualified for the 2023 2A state tournament and finished eighth place behind the Lady Panthers. The game will be played in the Blue Arena in Loveland, Colorado, at 11:45 a.m. The only online platform on which the game can be watched is the NFHS network.
