Menu
Lady Panthers clip Eagles, 53-41, en route to first victory
After 19 consecutive losses to open the season, the Sheldon Lady Panthers triumphed Tuesday night in Amoret, downing the Miami Eagles, 53-41.
The Lady Panthers led from wire-to-wire, going on top 19-11 at the conclusion of the first quarter, and 30-20 at the break. Miami outscored Sheldon 12-9 in the third, trimming its deficit to 39-32. Paced by sophomore point guard Mahalia Swink’s game-high 26 points, the Lady Panthers pulled away in the fourth for the double-digit victory.
“The girls played a great game tonight,” said Sheldon head coach, Joel McDuffey. “They took control of the game early and never relinquished their hold. We maintained a good, solid pace throughout the first half. Despite a few missed lay-ups and some turnovers, the girls were able to keep things rolling in a positive direction.”
McDuffey said his club executed its halftime adjustments, which included clamping down on Miami’s hot hands — Merissa Talley and Brianne Popplewell.
“We also wanted to take advantage of the mismatch we had on the inside with Madyson Bogart,” explained McDuffey, adding, “we wanted to feed her the ball in the paint.”
Bogart was a force in the post, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
McDuffey added that his club was able to wear down Miami’s thin roster.
“We wanted to run the floor and get some easy transition points off of them since they (lacked overall depth),” said McDuffey.
The first-year Sheldon head coach said he was thrilled with his squad’s effort at both ends of the floor.
“I was very pleased with our shot selection and our defensive effort — to really key on their shooters in the second half,” he said. “If they had not done the job they did (defensively) it would have been much (tighter) in the fourth quarter.”
Concluded McDuffey: “As a team, I feel we did a fantastic job of sharing the ball and getting it to the open person for the good shot. However, a few standout in this game with their performances. Mahalia really took control of the offense and was able to use her athleticism to get into the lane and get some great shot opportunities. Madyson Bogart was also able to execute well in the low post and get herself into (good position) to score.”
Up next
Sheldon wrapped its regular-season with a non-conference twinbill in Wheaton Thursday night. As of press time, results were not available.
Sheldon next embarks on district tournament play, as the Class 1 District 6 Tournament is slated for Feb. 19-23 in Hume.
See a future edition of the Daily Mail for additional tournament details, including seeds and times