Adam Papin/MDN Rugby’s Katie Sullivan (22) attempts the game-winning basket as time expires during the Panthers’ game against the Our Redeemer’s Christian School Knights on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

Last season, the Rugby Panthers’ girls basketball team knocked off the Our Redeemer’s Christian School Knights in the Region 6 championship game to advance to the state tournament. On Thursday, the Panthers fell just short of winning the rematch, as Katie Sullivan’s potential game-winning basket came just after the buzzer and Our Redeemer’s held on for the 42-41 win.

“We lost to them in the region championship last year, so there’s definitely some vengeance there,” said Our Redeemer’s senior guard Maya Vibeto.

Vibeto made four three-pointers in the first half and added six points in the second half to lead all scorers with 18 points. She also battled through foul trouble and spent part of the third quarter on the bench with four fouls.

“She brings intensity. She’s a great player, but she’s so much more than that,” said Our Redeemer’s girls basketball head coach Hart Andes. “She’s a great leader and all the girls feed off of that.”

Despite getting into foul trouble early, the Knights jumped out to a 13-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. Seven of Rugby’s 11 first quarter points came at the line, including five from Lacie Deplazes. Elise Fahnestock added two more free throws for the Panthers.

Our Redeemer’s added to its lead before the half, outscoring Rugby 13-10 in the second quarter, and took a five-point lead into the break.

The third quarter saw two of the Knights’ most prolific offensive players, in Mikayla Altringer and Vibeto, head to the bench with four fouls apiece, and the Panthers capitalized by erasing its halftime deficit to tie the game at 32-32 after three. Deplazes played a critical role, pairing two free throws with both a two-point and three-point field goal for seven points in the quarter.

Deplazes finished with 17 points to lead Rugby in scoring.

Neither team was able to get quality shots in the fourth. However, Our Redeemer’s jumped out to a 42-37 lead with 1:53 left in the game. That’s where the game stood until Altringer fouled Madison Corum with 33 seconds left, picking up her fifth personal foul. Corum made both free throws to cut the Panthers’ deficit to one possession.

As Vibeto was moving the ball across half court, Brooklyn Corum stole the ball from her and charged back for a layup to cut the Knights’ lead to a single point with 22.1 seconds left.

After Our Redeemer’s Kadyn Braun missed two free-throws with 7.9 seconds left, the Panthers had what seemed like one last chance; however, they turned the ball over with 2.9 seconds left.

On the inbound pass, the Knights heaved the ball deep to an empty backcourt, and despite Vibeto’s best efforts to keep the ball in play, it fell out of bounds giving Rugby one final chance.

Katie Sullivan took the Panthers’ inbound pass and launched one final shot that went in, but it was ruled the shot went off after the buzzer and the Knights escaped with a one-point victory.

Like Deplazes, Fahnestock also reached double figures with 10 points for the Panthers. B. Carum scored eight points and the trio of Ella Jacobson, Sam Blessum and M. Corum each scored two points for Rugby.

In addition to Vibeto’s 18 points, Our Redeemer’s scorers included Altringer, with nine points, Braun, eight, Leah Conway, four, and Isable Englehard, three.

The game was part of the annual Dan Brown Hoopster Classic at the Minot Auditorium in Minot.

The Panthers will host Four Winds/Minnewaukan on Friday, Jan. 5, with tip-off at 7 p.m.