Pantherettes advance to Semi-Final Round

By Ann Metcalf

In a very hard-fought and intense game, the Panhandle Pantherettes emerged the winners in the Area round of the playoffs, on Thursday, Feb. 13. The Ettes defeated the Abernathy Lady Lopes 53-47 to advance to the regional round. And moved one step closer to the State Finals when they defeated the Ballinger Lady Cats, 85-16, on Monday night in Lubbock. In the Regional Semifinal game, Ballinger did score the first point of the game with about 30 seconds gone from the clock, but from then on, it was Panhandle’s game.

The Ettes will play the Ozona Lady Lions tonight, Feb. 20, at 6:30 p.m. in Post for the Regional Finals. The winner of that game will play in the regional finals next Monday, and the winner of the final game will play in the State Championship game at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27 in San Antonio Alamodome.

Recapping the Abernathy game the score was tied eight times, and the lead change hands 11 times. Panhandle outscored Abernathy 13-12 in the first quarter, the Abernathy outscored Panhandle 16-14 in the second quarter.

In the third quarter, Panhandle took the lead 37-35 and kept it when Paige Bixby made a trey with 2:30 left in the third quarter. The Ettes outscored Abernathy 17-7 in the crucial third quarter and held the Lady Lopes scoreless or the last 4 minutes of the that quarter.

After taking the lead, Panhandle’s Evan Shadid scored in the first 30 seconds of the fourth quarter to put Panhandle up 46-35. Abernathy then scored 8 unanswered points to make the score Ettes 48 – Lady Lopes 43 with 2:56 left in the game. Panhandle finally scored and went on to win the game with Riley Segura making 4 of 4 free shots in the last 30 seconds to make the final score Panhandle 53 – Abernathy 47.Early on Panhandle missed several shots but controlled the ball. At 6:13 on the clock, Ann Garrison pulled down an offensive rebound and scored to put the Ettes on the board 2-0. Abernathy scored and tied the score 2-2 with 5:52 on the clock. Abernathy made a basket to go up 2-4 before Segura drove in for 2 to knot the score 4-4. Abernathy made two free shots then Segura made a steal and was fouled. She made one of her free shots to make the score Ettes 5 – Lady Lopes 6 with 2:38 left in the quarter. Garrison made a free shot to tie the score to 6-6. Segura rebounded an Abernathy miss and drew a foul. She converted on 2 of 2 free shots to put Panhandle up 8-6. With little over a minute remaining in the first quarter, Abernathy made a 2-pointer and a free shot changing the score to Panhandle 10 – Abernathy 9. The Lady Lopes canned a trey to go up 12-10, the Segura passed to Ashley who also made a trey and Panhandle led 13-12 as the quarter ended.

Panhandle inbounded the ball to start the second quarter. At 6:40 on the clock, Segura landed 2 points, and then Addi McCoid made a 3-pointer, upping Panhandle’s lead to 18-12. However, Abernathy responded with two baskets, tying the score at 18-18. With 3:58 until halftime, Garrison made two free shots and Abernathy answered with two free shots to again tie the score 20-20. Garrison scored 2 and Abernathy scored 2 – at 3:15 left in the first half, the score was even at 22-22. At 1:47 left in the half, Segura made the front end of two free throws, then Abernathy scored. A Panhandle miss was rebounded by Abernathy and a basket on a long pass downcourt, Segura took the ball in for 2 to bring the score to Panhandle 25 – Abernathy 26. McCoid scored off a rebound, but Abernathy scored on the buzzer to lead 28-27 at halftime.

Abernathy inbounded the ball to start the second half. They made the front end of two free throws, then rebounded on the second shot, but Garrison got a steal. At 6:05 showing in the third quarter, Segura passed to McCoid who scored to tie the game at 29-29. With 5:26 left in the game, Abernathy scored to go ahead 31-29. Segura passed the ball to Shadid who made a 3-pointer to put Panhandle up 32-31. Abernathy made a free shot, and the score was tied at 32. The Lady Lopes made a trey, but Garrison score off a rebound to put the score at Ettes 34 – Lady Lopes 35. At 2:30 on the clock, Garrison scored off an offensive rebound and Panhandle led 39-35. With 2 minutes left in the third quarter, Garrison passed to Bixby who made a 3-pointer and Panhandle was up 37-35. Garrison scored off an offensive rebound and Panhandle upped their lead to 39-35. At 41.8 seconds on the clock, Garrison got a rebound and scored to give Panhandle a 41-35 lead. Segura got a steal and Abernathy fouled. Panhandle inbounded the ball, and Segura made a trey to give Panhandle a 44-35 lead going into the final period. The Ettes held the Lady Lopes scoreless for the last half of the quarter

Panhandle inbounded the ball to begin the final quarter, and Shadid drove in the 2 to give Panhandle an 11-point lead. Abernathy came back strongly, scoring 8 unanswered points in the next 4 plus minutes of the quarter. At 3:14 left in the game, Panhandle held a slim 46-43 lead. Avery Cathey rebounded an offensive miss and scored with 2:56 on the clock to give Panhandle a 48-43 lead. At 1:36 remaining Abernathy scored – Panhandle 48, Abernathy 45. With a little over 56 seconds remaining, Cathey made the second of 2 free shots to make the score Panhandle 49 – Abernathy 47. Abernathy fouled, putting Segura on the free throw line, allowing her to make 2 of 2 free shots and upping the Ettes lead to 51-47. Abernathy inbounded the ball and shot. Segura rebounded and was quickly fouled. With 6.59 seconds remaining, Segura made both 2 of 2 free shots giving Panhandle the win, 53-47.
SCORES BY QUARTERS
Panhandle 13, 27, 44, 53
Abernathy 12, 28, 35, 47
Points: Segura 17; Garrison 13; McCoid 7; Ashley 5; Shadid 5; Bixby 3; Cathey 3
Rebounds: Segura 10, Garrison 4; McCoid 4; Ashley 3; Cathey 3; Shadid 3; Bixby 1; Ell Robinson 2; Allie Theis 1
Assists: Segura 4; Cathey 1; McCoid 1
Steals: Segura 4; Garrison 2; Bixby 1; Robinson 1
Blocks: Bixby 1; Cathey 1; Garrison 1; McCoid 1
Deflections: Bixby 7; Segura 5; McCoid 4; Cathey 3; Shadid 3

At the start of the Regional Semifinal game, Ballinger got the tip. Following a free shot by Ballinger, Riley Segura passed the ball to Cathey who opened Panhandle scoring with a trey and Panhandle led 3-1 with 7:12 on the clock. Bixby got a steal, but Ballinger rebounded a Panhandle miss and Segura forced a Ballinger turnover. Cathey got the rebound, Segura passed to McCoid for 2 to make the score 5-1. Segura blocked a Lady Cat shot and Panhandle inbounded the ball and Segura drove in for 2, bringing the score to 7-1. At 4:40 on the clock, Segura drove in for 2, then Ballinger scored to make the score 9-3.

At 3:04 remaining, Segura drove in for 2 but was fouled. She made her free shot to give Panhandle a 12-3 lead. McCoid got a steal. Segura passed to Garrison who scored, and seconds later, Cathey made a trey, upping the Ettes lead to 12-3. Following a McCoid steal, Segura passed to Garrison who scored, then seconds later Cathey made a trey and Panhandle increased the lead to 17-3. Cathey got a steal and drove in for 2. McCoid got a defensive rebound. Shadid passed to Cathey for another trey, and Panhandle was up 22 points to 3. As the quarter was ending, Segura got a steal, and Maddison Chavez had a defensive rebound and a steal. The quarter ended with Panhandle up 22-3.

Panhandle inbounded the ball to start the second quarter and Segura made a quick basket to up the lead to 24-3. McCoid got a block and Bixby got the ball. Chavez passed to Cathey who made her fourth trey of the game. Chavez got a steal, then Shadid passed the Cathey who made yet another 3-pointer and Panhandle led 30-3 with over six minutes remaining in the first half. Chavez got a rebound, and Segura drove in for 2. Ell Robinson deflected a Ballinger pass and the Ettes inbounded the ball. With 4:52 showing on the clock, Ballinger made a free shot, Garrison rebounded the miss. Cathey passed to Bixby who was fouled and made a free shot.

At 4:31 on the clock, Panhandle led 34-4. Segura got a steal. Robinson passed to Ashley who scored. Ashley got a steal and Segura scored 2. Ashley got made another steal and Cathey scored 2. Ballinger got on the board with 2, bringing the score up to 40-6 with 2:09 showing on the clock. McCoid got an offensive rebound and put it in for 2 points. Segura and Ashley each had a block/steal. Segura passed the ball to Shadid who canned a 3-pointer. With less than 10 seconds remaining, Segura passed to the ball to Ashley who scored to make the halftime score Panhandle 47-Ballinger 6.

Panhandle inbounded the ball to start the second half. Cathey passed to Garrison for 2 points. Ballinger made a free shot. With 6:17 on the third quarter clock, McCoid scored 2, and Panhandle led 51-7. Mccoid got an interception. Ashley passed to Robinson who scored 2. After a couple of trips up and down the court, Cathey got a steal and ran full court for 2points to put the Ettes up 55 to 7 with 3:36 on the clock.

Segura got a steal and passed to Ashley who scored 2. Audrey Inman scored 2 to up Panhandle’ lead to 59-7. Then Ballinger made 2 free shots. Iman got a defensive rebound. Bixby then passed inside to Inman who scored 2 points to put the Ettes ahead 61-9.

The Ettes inbounded a Lady Cats’ turnover, and Bixby again passed to Inman who fouled and made her free shot. Inman had a block/steal, then later made a defensive rebound. Garrison got a steal and drove downcourt for 2 points on the buzzer. Panhandle had a commanding lead 64-9 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Pantherettes again inbounded the ball and McCoid got a steal. Garrison passed the Cathey for her final 3-point basket of the night. Ballinger scored setting the scoreboard to 61-11. McCoid rebounded and scored then Garrison had a block/steal. Bixby got a rebound and Garrison scored with 5:42 left in the game making the score 71-11. Ashley intercepted a Ballinger pass. Segura passed to Ashley for 2, then Ballinger sank their only 3-pointer of the game to make the score 73-14.

Shadid passed to Segura who made a trey. Lexi Durst made a rebound and Robinson passed to Ashley for 2. Shadid got a rebound and Durst passed to Shadid for 3, then Ashley got the rebound. Segura passed to Ashley for 2 and Ballinger scored the last 2 points of the game for the final score of 85-16.

In the semifinal game, Panhandle hit nine 3-pointers and had three players, Cathey 24, Segura 16 and Ashley 14, scored double figures. Also putting points on the scoreboard were Garrison 9, McCoid 8, Shadid 6, Inman 5 and Robinson 2 and Bixby 1. Great defensive was played by those scoring as well at Theis, Chavez and Durst.
SCORES BY QUARTERS
Panhandle 22, 47, 64, 85
Ballinger 3, 6, 9, 16
Rebounds: Segura 4; Ashley 3; Bixby 2, Chavez 2, Garrison 2, Inman 2; McCoid 2; Shadid 2; Cathey 1; Robinson 1; Durst 1
Assists: Segura 9; Shadid 3; Robinson 3; Ashley 2; Bixby 2; Theis 2; Cathey 1; Chavez 1, Durst 1
Steals: Segura 6; Ashley 4; Garrison 4; McCoid 4; Cathey 3; Chavez 2; Theis 2, Bixby 1; Inman 1
Blocks: Segura 2; Ashley 1; Inman 1; McCoid 1; Shadid 1
Deflections: Ashley 5; Bixby 3; Garrison 3; McCoid 3; Chavez 2; Robinson 2; Cathey 1; Segura 1
Saves: Cathey 1