By SUE SITTER Staff Writer ssitter@thepiercecountytribune.com The Rugby Panthers built on their winning streak Dec. 14 by topping a past performance on their home court against the Harvey-Wells County Hornets, a CNDC girls’ tournament rival they’d defeated when the season opened. The Panthers had smacked down the Region 4 Hornets to win the Dec. 4 tournament 54-23. In their regular season game Dec. 14, the Panthers handed the Hornets defeat number two, this time with a score of 65-23 in Rugby’s favor. The Hornets looked as though they would avenge their CNDC loss at first when guard Emma Dockter landed the first bucket of the game. The Hornets’ shots went astray after that point, thanks to Rugby’s defense. Meanwhile, Panthers guards Anna Johnson and Joran Jundt landed three-pointers, while forwards Mykell Heidlebaugh and Joey Wolf each put four points on the board. Both Wolf and Heidlebaugh saw trips to the free throw line as frazzled Hornets fouled fighting for control of the ball. The first quarter ended with a commanding 18-2 lead for Rugby. After the first few minutes of the game, the Panthers kept their focus on keeping their lead and building on it. Hornets guard Lexi Fike landed a three pointer for Harvey in the second quarter, but the Panthers limited the Hornets to only three more points before halftime – a two-point bucket by forward Karsyn Ziegler and one free throw bucket on two attempts by forward Larissa Arnold on a foul by Panther Mya Geisinger. The Panthers doubled their score in Q 2, with five points each from Johnson and Jundt, four by Heidlebaugh and two each from Wolf and forward Janikka Miller. After halftime, the Hornets took the floor ready to fight. Their aggressive play racked up more fouls, however, it put eight more points on the board from Arnold, Dockter and Ziegler. The intensity of the battle cost Heidlebaugh, who fouled out. The Panthers put 13 more in their score column. A few Panther shots went astray. Both teams seemed tired. Still, Jundt made one bucket and a three-pointer. Johnson, Wolf and Heidlebaugh landed free throws. Forward Kendyl Hager landed a two-point shot for the Panthers. After the game Panthers Head Coach Jen Brossart said, “There are a lot of things we didn’t execute tonight that we’re going to work on in the next three days.” However, Brossart couldn’t deny she was proud of the Panthers. As Rugby’s lead climbed, Brossart rotated in some from the JV squad, including freshman Lacie Deplazes, who would land a two-point shot and two free throws in the fourth quarter. Hager landed a bucket of her own plus two three-pointers. Geisinger and Jundt scored two points apiece before the final buzzer sounded. “The kids are having fun and it shows,” Brossart said, smiling after the game. “They’re just passing the ball around. They don’t care who scores. They just want to get it to the open person and shoot it.” “They’re enjoying themselves. And when you love the game of basketball and you play the game of basketball and you have fun out there, good things happen,” Brossart added. “Right now, they’re playing for each other and it’s just fun.” Brossart said she was glad to give JV Panthers some time on the court as well. “This was a great game to get Lacie’s feet wet,” Brossart said of Deplazes. “She’s going to be instrumental for us down the stretch, I think, and she’s earned it. She’s had a great JV season thus far. We’ve got other girls fighting for a few more uniforms.” Brossart said she liked how the Panthers encouraged each other. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the first five players or one who comes in; they’re supporting each other. They’re talking. They’re communicating. I think that’s what’s special about this team and I hope that’s what carries us far into the season.” Although the season looks good for the Panthers so far, Brossart said she would keep the team’s focus on the near future instead of the road far ahead. “We’ll just talk about game number seven right now,” Brossart said. In the Panthers’ seventh game of the season, they’ll face the Mohall-Landsford-Sherwood Mavericks. “MLS is a familiar foe,” Brossart said. “We’ve played them in the semis and regionals during the last four years. They’ve got one girl who’s six- foot-four, Allie Undelin – she’s a prospective all-stater. They’ve got all their girls back from last year, I think. So, this is going to be a Region 6 big battle for us.” “And for the next five days for practices, this is what we’re going to focus on, MLS and take it one game at a time,” Brossart added.

The Rugby Panthers built on their winning streak Dec. 14 by topping a past performance on their home court against the Harvey-Wells County Hornets, a CNDC girls’ tournament rival they’d defeated when the season opened.

The Panthers had smacked down the Region 4 Hornets to win the Dec. 4 tournament 54-23. In their regular season game Dec. 14, the Panthers handed the Hornets defeat number two, this time with a score of 65-23 in Rugby’s favor.

The Hornets looked as though they would avenge their CNDC loss at first when guard Emma Dockter landed the first bucket of the game. The Hornets’ shots went astray after that point, thanks to Rugby’s defense. Meanwhile, Panthers guards Anna Johnson and Joran Jundt landed three-pointers, while forwards Mykell Heidlebaugh and Joey Wolf each put four points on the board. Both Wolf and Heidlebaugh saw trips to the free throw line as frazzled Hornets fouled fighting for control of the ball. The first quarter ended with a commanding 18-2 lead for Rugby. After the first few minutes of the game, the Panthers kept their focus on keeping their lead and building on it.

Hornets guard Lexi Fike landed a three pointer for Harvey in the second quarter, but the Panthers limited the Hornets to only three more points before halftime – a two-point bucket by forward Karsyn Ziegler and one free throw bucket on two attempts by forward Larissa Arnold on a foul by Panther Mya Geisinger.

The Panthers doubled their score in Q 2, with five points each from Johnson and Jundt, four by Heidlebaugh and two each from Wolf and forward Janikka Miller.

After halftime, the Hornets took the floor ready to fight. Their aggressive play racked up more fouls, however, it put eight more points on the board from Arnold, Dockter and Ziegler. The intensity of the battle cost Heidlebaugh, who fouled out. The Panthers put 13 more in their score column. A few Panther shots went astray. Both teams seemed tired. Still, Jundt made one bucket and a three-pointer. Johnson, Wolf and Heidlebaugh landed free throws. Forward Kendyl Hager landed a two-point shot for the Panthers.

After the game Panthers Head Coach Jen Brossart said, “There are a lot of things we didn’t execute tonight that we’re going to work on in the next three days.”

However, Brossart couldn’t deny she was proud of the Panthers. As Rugby’s lead climbed, Brossart rotated in some from the JV squad, including freshman Lacie Deplazes, who would land a two-point shot and two free throws in the fourth quarter. Hager landed a bucket of her own plus two three-pointers. Geisinger and Jundt scored two points apiece before the final buzzer sounded.

“The kids are having fun and it shows,” Brossart said, smiling after the game. “They’re just passing the ball around. They don’t care who scores. They just want to get it to the open person and shoot it.”

“They’re enjoying themselves. And when you love the game of basketball and you play the game of basketball and you have fun out there, good things happen,” Brossart added. “Right now, they’re playing for each other and it’s just fun.”

Brossart said she was glad to give JV Panthers some time on the court as well. “This was a great game to get Lacie’s feet wet,” Brossart said of Deplazes. “She’s going to be instrumental for us down the stretch, I think, and she’s earned it. She’s had a great JV season thus far. We’ve got other girls fighting for a few more uniforms.”

Brossart said she liked how the Panthers encouraged each other. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the first five players or one who comes in; they’re supporting each other. They’re talking. They’re communicating. I think that’s what’s special about this team and I hope that’s what carries us far into the season.”

Although the season looks good for the Panthers so far, Brossart said she would keep the team’s focus on the near future instead of the road far ahead. “We’ll just talk about game number seven right now,” Brossart said.

In the Panthers’ seventh game of the season, they’ll face the Mohall-Landsford-Sherwood Mavericks.

“MLS is a familiar foe,” Brossart said. “We’ve played them in the semis and regionals during the last four years. They’ve got one girl who’s six- foot-four, Allie Undelin – she’s a prospective all-stater. They’ve got all their girls back from last year, I think. So, this is going to be a Region 6 big battle for us.”

“And for the next five days for practices, this is what we’re going to focus on, MLS and take it one game at a time,” Brossart added.