Rugby’s Jaden Hamilton (left) tries to get the ball away from an M-L-S Mavericks player Friday. Lori Gronvold for the Tribune

For a few moments in a contest between Rugby and Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood’s boys basketball teams, the contest was very close.

The Panthers defeated the Mavericks 82-58 at home last week, but in the first quarter and for nearly three minutes in the second, the game was a lot closer.

“I think they exploited us defensively a little bit,” said Panthers head coach Mike Santjer of the Mavericks’ play Friday. “But I think we don’t have a lot of ways to go but we got to get the little things back together a little bit and just tighten up a few things. They played super hard and were really aggressive and physical with us and I think the second half we did a lot better responding to how physical the game was.”

The first quarter would see the Panthers outscore the Mavericks by a thin 17-15 margin.

And then the Mavericks briefly resurged in the second quarter, first tying up the game 17-17 with a bucket from JayDen Hanson. The Panthers briefly got the lead back after a 1-for-2 trip to the foul line for Cole Slaubaugh. The Mavericks snatched the lead again after buckets from Joseph and Henry Savelkoul. The Panthers then took the lead back again first with a bucket and successful three-point play from Isaiah-Bundy Smith, a second attempt at a three-point play from Trace Goven, and a bucket from Jaden Hamilton, all in a span of 45 seconds.

The Panthers would head to the locker room with a 12-point lead over the Mavericks at halftime.

The third quarter saw the Panthers outscore the Mavericks 22-16, and the fourth quarter the Panthers outscored the Mavericks 17-11. The Panthers saw Bundy-Smith, Hamilton and Slaubaugh each end the night with double-digit scoring figures.

The Panthers sat with a 5-0 record, and a number three-ranking as of Monday’s latest N.D. Associated Press Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association poll, prior to traveling to Harvey on Friday. The boys will also travel to Westhope on Tuesday for a District 11 matchup.