“It was kind of ugly but good to get a win and get the monkey off our back,” Panther head coach Eric Hejl said of the DeBeque game. “They played hard but kind of out control, fouling a lot.”
The Panthers finished with 23 fouls and the Dragons finished the game with two more than the Panthers.
The Panthers jumped out to a 20-4 lead in the first quarter, with eight points from Caleb Templeton and seven from Kody Denny, which included one of Denny’s two three-pointers.
Denny’s older brother Kacey got hot in the second quarter, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the second quarter, including one three-pointer. The Panthers scored 25 more in the second and had the game won at halftime, leading 45-16.
“Everyone got a lot of playing time and all but one scored,” Hejl said.
Templeton and Kody Denny each finished with 16, while Chas Byerly and Kacey Denny both scored 13.
Cameron Enterline added six, Mason Fortunato had five and Connor Phelan, Ethan Peacock and Andrew Morton all finished with four. Cory Evans and William Scoggins each made a free throw. Jake Massey played in three quarters, but did not score against the Dragons.
Against the Plateau Valley Cowboys, the Panthers fell behind early, 9-23 at the end of the first quarter.
“We got down early again and couldn’t dig ourselves out,” Hejl said.
Rangely matched the Cowboys’ 16 points in the second quarter but gave up 23 more in the third while only scoring 14 of their own and outscored by three in the fourth.
“Our defense struggled but we contested a lot of their shots, they just made them,” Hejl said.
Templeton led all scorers with 28 points, Phelan seven, Kacey Denny five, Peacock three and Kody Denny and Byerly each added a basket.
The Panthers will play their first league game this Friday in Oak Creek against the Soroco Rams.
Panthers slay Dragons for first win of season, travel to Soroco
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