Panthers sink claws into Knights at regionals, advance to semifinals
A tenacious Rugby Panthers boys basketball squad advanced to the semifinals in the North Dakota Class B Region 6 Tournament, held at the Minot State University Dome, defeating Our Redeemer’s Christian High School Knights, 59-50 on March 7.
The No. 1-seeded Panthers and 4th-seeded Knights hadn’t met in the regular season, but Rugby Coach Mike Santjer said the Panthers would be ready for them. Santjer proved correct. Rugby’s defense dug in within minutes of tipoff and stayed in control thanks to buckets landed by guards Kory Vetsch and Logan Harner, followed by a three-pointer landed by Vetsch. The Knights would answer with a bucket from guard Coltan Frances. Still, the Panthers stayed in command, with two buckets from forward Brody Schneibel, who would lead the Panthers with 17 points scored. Schneibel and the Panthers stayed ready for rebounds and capitalized on shot opportunities.
Zachary Hendrickson led the fight for the Knights with 21 points. Rugby went deep on its bench, with seven players putting points on the board, forward Erik Foster and Vetsch scoring 13 apiece. The Panthers held a 26-19 lead at halftime, with the Knights trailing close behind. Rugby stretched its lead to 14 points in the third quarter before the Knights came back to narrow it in the fourth. The Knights’ fight to extend their season intensified, with Our Redeemer’s matching the Panthers’ offensive point-for-point, each scoring 14. The Panthers kept a lead that narrowed to six points before free throws made gave them breathing room in the final seconds of the game for a 59-50 win. Rounding out Rugby scorers were guard Jacob Ripplinger with seven points, center Garrett Sullivan with four points, Harner with three points, and guard Will Kuntz with 2.
The Panthers faced the Velva Aggies the next evening. The No. 3 seed from district 11 defeated the No. 2 district 12 seed Surrey Mustangs. Like the Panthers, the Aggies dominated their game. The Aggies’ defense stayed ready for rebounds at the net, turning them quickly into shots. The Aggies would lead the Panthers in field goal percentages, although the Panthers had the edge in their game’s first quarter. The Aggies defeated the Mustangs 62-46, advancing to the semifinals to meet Rugby on the court.
Results from the Panthers’ Region 6 games will appear in next week’s edition.