RANGELY | On Thursday, Feb. 6, the Rangely Panthers traveled to Baggs, Wyoming, to take on Little Snake River. The Rattlers entered the game with a 10-4 record and sat atop their league standings. They proved to be a formidable opponent early, jumping out to a 23-13 lead after the first quarter.
The Panthers adjusted in the second quarter, playing the Rattlers evenly, but still trailed 37-25 at halftime. They were unable to maintain their momentum in the second half and found themselves down by more than 20 points by the end of the third quarter. The final score was 70-43.
Leading the Panthers were Kacey Allred with 13 points and Marcos Quintana with nine.
On Saturday, Feb. 8, the Panthers traveled to Edwards to face league opponent Vail Christian. The Saints entered the game with a 6-5 overall record, including a 3-2 mark in league play.
The game was a battle from the tipoff. The Panthers struggled to stop the Saints’ drives early, falling behind 19-10 late in the first quarter. After a timeout, the Panthers made defensive adjustments and slowed the Saints’ offensive attack. Vail Christian led 36-29 at halftime.
Rangely continued to battle in the third quarter but was unable to cut into the deficit, trailing 48-41 heading into the fourth. Early in the final period, the Panthers made a run and took a 55-54 lead with about three minutes left. However, the Saints pulled ahead in the closing minutes, securing a 58-55 victory.
The Panthers were led by Bradley Lambros with 15 points. Quintana and Landon Bollinger each scored 13, while Clay Allred added 10.
Rangely dropped to 5-13 overall and 2-5 in league play. The Panthers will look to turn things around at home Friday against DeBeque before traveling to face West Grand on Saturday.
